Obituary of Aileen V. Sanders

Aileen V. Sanders Aileen V. Sanders, born September 13, 1925, to George and Hildur Nelson, lived eighty-five healthy, energetic years. She passed away November 22, 2010 from a malignant brain tumor. Aileen was currently active in P.E.O. chapter ED, a philanthropic educational organization; the UCSC Women's Garden Club, the Gardener's Club of Aptos, and the Congregational Church of Soquel. Aileen recently celebrated her sixty-fifth wedding anniversary with her husband, Bryce Sanders. She is survived by Bryce; their daughter, Laurie Sanders-Cannon, her husband, Jerry M. Cannon, and two grandchildren: Molly Sanders-Cannon and James (Jimmy) Sanders-Cannon. Aileen and Bryce's son, Ryan W. Sanders, died in 1999. His widow, Maria Neary, lives in Boulder, CO. Aileen has five nieces and nephews living on the East Coast; children of her late brother, Glenn Nelson. Though born in California, Aileen grew up in a farming community in Nebraska. She returned to California in 1957. Aileen worked at the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office for two years and Cabrillo College for one year. One of the first ten people hired for UCSC, she knew the university from its infancy. She worked as administrative assistant to the head librarian for twenty-three years, until retirement. Aileen took courses from the University of Nebraska by extension before marriage. She took courses at Cabrillo Community College after moving to Soquel. She promoted higher education, particularly for women, through her P.E.O. affiliation of fifty-five years. She nurtured her keen intelligence in conversation and reading. In the era before the internet, she often brought dictionary and encyclopedia to the dinner table whenever questions arose. Aileen was known for her friendliness, high activity level, physical stamina, agility, youthful appearance, her green thumb and her passion for gardening. Her beautiful garden, fifty years in the making, features unusual beds of succulents as well as local begonias. Aileen's gardening skills benefitted her church during their annual rummage sales. She grew plants especially for the occasion, set up the garden display section and advised shoppers about how to keep them growing, becoming known as "the Plant Lady". Aileen was a prolific letter writer. She was quick to drop a note in the mail, often including clippings from the paper. She wrote in the family round robin letter since 1976, assuming her father's role of many years, upon his death. In her most active years Aileen played golf with the Nifty Niners club at DeLaveaga and enjoyed classes in watercolor painting. . Her love of nature and curiosity about the world kept her always learning something new. Aileen enjoyed camping, taking RV trips with the Scottish Ramblers. She and Bryce also enjoyed travel by cruise ship to Alaska and Mexico, to Canada by air and train, and numerous bus trips throughout California to Death Valley, Reno, San Diego and more. Memorial services will be Saturday, December 18, 2010 at ten-thirty a.m. at the Congregational Church in Soquel with reception following in the church hall. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to the Arboretum, Univ. of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, a favorite of Aileen's where she spent her recent birthday, or to the Congregational Church of Soquel, 4951 Soquel Dr., Soquel, CA 95073.