Robert Marvin Sanders

1941 - 2020

Robert Marvin (Bob) Sanders
October 29, 1941 - December 17, 2019.
Robert Marvin (Bob) Sanders was born October 29, 1941, in Tulare, California and passed away in Sacramento, California, on December 17, 2019.
Bob's father left Tulare and became a navy pilot when the U.S. entered World War II in late 1941. Little Bob and his mother traveled the country during the war as his father took pilot training and was assigned as an instructor pilot in Minnesota and later flew anti-submarine seaplanes off Florida and in the Caribbean.
After the war the family moved to a dairy/almond farm near Merced, California.
Bob attended Washington Elementary School, Merced High School, Modesto Junior College, and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
After breaking a collar-bone early in MHS's 1957 state championship season, Bob assisted the radio broadcast team by identifying players and providing commentary during games. This eventually led to work as a disc jockey on local stations KYOS and KWIP, and at a station in San Luis Obispo during and after college. AM radio boomed in the late 50's as Elvis and "Rock and Roll" took over the airwaves. Bob, who was for a time billed as "Rapid Robert Sanders," became very popular in the communities where he worked, in part because of his voice and wit, and in part because he was much closer in age to his listening audience than were most radio voices.
Bob joined the California National Guard and received specialized training at the artillery school in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. After completing his initial service, on the flight back to California, Bob met Assemblyman Gordon Winton. That meeting resulted in Winton hiring Bob to work in his Sacramento office.
In August 1965 Bob's California National Guard unit was called to active duty during the Watts Riots. There were many nights of live-fire exchanges between rooftop snipers and Guard patrols before the riots wound down and Bob returned to civilian life.
Bob worked on Assemblyman Winton's successful 1966 campaign and in his Sacramento office. Prior to the 1968 election, the district was drastically re-drawn. Winton decided not to run in the new district and Bob ran for the open seat. He did not win the election despite doing well in the valley portion of the new district.
During the California primary, Bob traveled in his district with presidential candidate Robert Kennedy. Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles less than a week later. Bob's conversation with Senator Kennedy was one of his most treasured memories.
Bob then worked for the California Teachers' Association in Burlingame and for the United Teachers of Los Angeles. At UTLA he helped organize the first successful teachers' strike in California.
Bob met his future wife, Suzanne White, while they both worked at UTLA.
Bob left CTA/UTLA to work as chief of staff for Los Angeles City Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky. He then worked as vice president of corporate communication for the Holden Group and Security First Group. He also planned corporate events for both groups. Bob then worked as a political consultant for Rusty Areias, Jim
Costa, and other California elected officials. He also wrote scripts, directed, and did voiceovers for a number of military training films.
Bob took a full-time position with the California Assembly Speaker's Office of Member Services, where he continued to work until he retired in 2017. Retirement lasted only briefly, as he soon "semi-unretired" to advise California Democratic Senate candidates and to work as Communications Director for the California Senate Democratic Caucus as a retired annuitant, a position he held at the time of his passing.
Bob was preceded in death by his father Marvin, his mother Anna, and by his younger sister Jo Anna.
He is survived by his wife Suzanne, his daughter Erica, his brothers Jim and Jeff, and by a fair number of cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Bob loved his family, politics, language, music, and sports, possibly in that order.
He is loved and will be remembered by many.
A memorial service will be held at 1 P.M. on Friday, January 24, at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 2620 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento.
The family requests that any donations be made in the name of Robert M. Sanders to the American Civil Liberties Union (aclu.org) as a Memorial Gift.
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