Eugene Delano Sanders

Eugene Delano Sanders, 90, of Atlanta, GA, passed away surrounded by family on Veterans Day, November 11, 2025.

Gene was born on Christmas Day, December 25, 1934, in Buchanan, GA, the only child of John William and Ethel Floyd Sanders. After his father passed away when Gene was nine years old, his mother encouraged him to join the Boy Scouts, where he found mentorship and encouragement from caring adult leaders. In 1950, he earned the organization’s highest honor—Eagle Scout.

Gene graduated from Bremen High School in 1953, where he was a member of the Beta Club and played both football and basketball, lettering in 1952. Upon graduation, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served during peacetime in Germany. After his military service, he began college at Georgia State University before transferring to the former Southern Technical Institute, where he earned an Associate in Science degree in Electrical Technology in 1962.

That same year, Gene took the IBM entrance exam and passed on his first attempt. He went on to enjoy a thirty-two-year career with the company, receiving numerous awards for his contributions to software development and being inducted into the IBM Quarter Century Club. Although IBM was often jokingly called “I’ve Been Moved,” Gene remained in Georgia throughout his tenure, working in Columbus, Rome, and, for the final twenty-seven years, Atlanta. He was especially proud to have worked in the Cobb County building designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei. After retiring from IBM, Gene continued his career at MAPICS until his final retirement at age seventy-five.

While living in a midtown Atlanta apartment early in his IBM career, Gene’s roommate introduced him to Grace Hurst on a blind date. They were married a few years later in a double wedding ceremony alongside Grace’s sister. Gene and Grace shared a devoted and loving marriage that lasted sixty-one years.

During their time in Rome, Gene worked full-time while taking classes at Berry College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1975. Upon graduation, he was promoted to a new position with IBM in Atlanta. He and Grace made their home in the Buckhead community, where they raised their two daughters. At sixty-five, Gene proudly earned his Master of Science in Computer Science from Southern Polytechnic State University (now part of Kennesaw State University), a reflection of his lifelong curiosity, perseverance, and love of learning.

The Sanders family were active members of Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church for many years, then transferred to Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in 1999, where Gene and Grace enjoyed the community of the Passages and New Covenant Sunday School classes. Gene served on the PRUMC Administrative Board for many years and chaired the Sanctuary Guild/Pew Duty Team for five years. He also served the United Methodist Church as a lay member at large of the North Georgia Annual Conference from 2016 to 2025 and as a member of the Atlanta-College Park District Board of Trustees from 2012 to 2015.

A man of many interests, Gene enjoyed woodworking, especially projects for his daughters. He built an outdoor playhouse for them that he lovingly disassembled and rebuilt twice as the family moved from Columbus to Rome and, finally, Atlanta. For many years, he also worked on an elaborate Victorian farmhouse-style dollhouse, which he recently completed for his granddaughter.

Gene was also a licensed amateur radio operator who enjoyed communicating with people around the world. His technical skills and community spirit came together in 1982, when he provided emergency assistance via radio communications during a rare Georgia snowstorm that disrupted power and phone service across the region.

Gene and Grace loved traveling to the North Georgia mountains to celebrate their anniversary each October. They also journeyed throughout Georgia as Gene assisted Grace in her genealogical research, locating ancestral graves, and contributing to a DAR historical marker project at Kettle Creek. In more recent years, they devoted Friday mornings to serving at the Westside Table Food Pantry.

Gene was a gentle, kind, patient, and reserved man—a true gentleman in every sense of the word. He deeply loved his two daughters, nurturing their faith, supporting their education, and taking pride in their professional accomplishments. He was also a devoted “Papa” to his granddaughter, whom he adored from the moment she was born, spending countless hours playing with her and caring for her with joy and tenderness.

Gene is survived by his wife, Grace Hurst Sanders; his daughters, Rev. Dr. Margaret Elizabeth (Beth) Sanders and Catharine Anglin Sanders Aguilar (Chris); and his granddaughter, Henley Elizabeth Aguilar. A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to Westside Table UMC Food Pantry; 2220 Bolton Road, NW; Atlanta, GA 30318.