Lavon B. Sanders

SANDERS Lavon Bowles Sanders, age 80, beloved mother and grandmother, passed away in Corpus Christi, Texas on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 after a recurrence of breast cancer. She was born March 9, 1931 to Loy and Lucy Bowles in Bosque County, Texas. After graduating from Valley Mills High School, and Clifton Junior College, she attended Baylor University. In 1953, she became a licensed Clinical Laboratory Technician. She had a 30-year career as a medical technologist, retiring from Spohn Hospital. In 1976, she obtained a BA degree from CCSU. She was proud to end her career as a research assistant at the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas in the laboratories of 1985 Nobel prize winners, Drs. Michael Brown and Joseph Goldstein. She traveled extensively in the 1960's, with her former husband and children, living in Mexico, Bolivia and Chile. In 1976, she married Rod C. Sanders in Corpus Christi. They were married 23 years, living in Rockport, Duncanville, and Bangs, Texas and enjoyed fishing, blacksmithing, and volunteering in their communities. Lavon was known for her volunteer work and her love of science. She sought to help children succeed in school and life, and was recognized for her work by the Bangs Independent School District as Volunteer of the Year in 1999.After she moved to Corpus Christi, she was recognized for thousands of hours of volunteer work at Driscoll Children's Hospital Oncology Clinic, First United Methodist Church, the St. Vincent de Paul Society and Corpus Christi Metro Ministries. She joins her Heavenly Father, as she is reunited with her husband, Rod C. Sanders. She is survived by children Martha Victory, Anne (David) Ramos, Ellen Ramos, Alfred Mendez, Lola (Robert) Leal, Pam Hendry, Mark (Denise) Sanders, and Jeff (Heather) Sanders. She is also survived by grandchildren Corina Ramos, Aaron Ramos, Ian Ramos, Matthew Ramos, Kristina Leal, Sara Leal, Anthony Leal, Katie Sanders, Josh Hendry, Emelie Sanders, Meredith Sanders, and Kenny Sanders; and great-grandchildren Jule Moya, Jaden Sindt, Aaron Ramos, Isaac Ramos, Aiden Ramos, Jeremiah Ramos and Mari Ramos. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. , with a rosary to be recited at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, February 3, 2012 at Memory Gardens Funeral Home.Funeral mass will be held at Most Precious Blood Church on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. A burial service will take place at the Bangs Cemetery in Bangs, Texas. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to Driscoll Children's Hospital Cancer and Blood Disorder Center, 3533 So. Alameda, Corpus Christi, Texas, 78411Condolences can be made at www.memorygardensfuneralhome.com