Anita Louise Sanchez

Anita Louise Sanchez
July 20, 1946 – October 3, 2025
Anita Louise Sanchez (née Charley), age 79, passed away peacefully on October 3, 2025, in her Reno, Nevada, home, surrounded by her loving family. Born on July 20, 1946, at Saint Mary's Hospital in Reno to Elizabeth Lizette (Sweeney) and Harry Charley, Anita spent her growing-up years on the family ranch near Bordertown, Nevada. After marrying, she raised her children for most of their lives in Loyalton, California, before finally moving to Reno in 1987, where she would transform countless lives through her fierce love and unwavering faith.
On Christmas Day 1964, Anita married the love of her life, Benjamin Edward Sanchez, beginning a beautiful 61-year journey together. A graduate of Wooster High School's Class of 1964, Anita's greatest professional accomplishment was her calling as a mother-not only to her own children but to the motherless and lost souls who found their way to her door.
Anita is survived by her devoted husband, Benjamin; her son, Nicholas Edward Sanchez, and his wife, Melissa; her son, Leif Harry Sanchez, and his wife, Charity; and her daughter, Andre Elizabeth Sanchez. Her legacy continues through nine grandchildren: Nicholas, Stacia (husband Jessie), Benjamin (wife Madison), Levi, Joshua (wife Daisy), Roman, Promise, Samantha, and Niki; and five great-grandchildren: Annica, Adrian, Graciana, Elias, and Valentina.
Known as a lighthouse to the lost and "Mother to the Motherless," Anita possessed the remarkable ability to see past people's failures and dysfunction to the treasure that God had placed within them. Her mothering was fierce and protective. She fought for those who couldn't fight for themselves, believed in potential when others had given up hope, and saw people through God's eyes when they could only see their shame and mistakes.
Anita's life embodied the divine maternal love described in Isaiah 49:15, never forgetting those God had placed in her care. She made her very existence an offering to God-not through empty words or compromise, but through a life poured out in service to others. She wanted to shine the light God gave her, and shine she did, illuminating the darkness in countless lives. Anita truly understood what it meant to die to self so that Christ might live through her, sharing the hope she had been given and the love that had set her free.
Her lasting legacy lives in the immeasurable impact she had on every life she touched. She taught that love is not merely an emotion but an action-a decision to fight for others even when it costs everything. She showed that prayer is not a last resort but a first line of defense. Those who learned from her carry forward her legacy of spiritual warfare and intercession, continuing to fight for those they love because Anita taught them how. Her spiritual DNA lives on in every prayer prayed, every soul fought for, and every person never given up on.
Anita's life stands as a testament to Romans 8:28: "In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." She loved Jesus with her whole heart, and that love transformed everyone fortunate enough to know her.
Visitation for the family will be held on Friday, October 10, 2025, from 6:00 to 7:00 pm at Mountain View Mortuary and Crematory, 425 Stoker Avenue, Reno.
A Celebration of Life service will take place on Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Outlook Christian Church, 3697 Kings Row, Unit D, Reno. A reception will follow the memorial service at the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests honoring Anita's memory by extending fierce, protective love to someone who needs to be reminded of their God-given worth-just as she would have done.