Celetta Dykes Sanders

Celetta Dykes Sanders, 89, McLean, Virginia, was a beloved wife, cherished mother, doting grandmother and devoted friend to many who will be dearly missed.
Celetta was born in Macon, Georgia February 24, 1936, to her parents Minnie Lee Rankin Dykes and Coy Mandrel Dykes. Her father was a physicist, inventor with several patents and a high school principal, and her mother was a concert pianist who taught history and music. As a child Celetta lived in Moultrie, Sparta, Gainesville and Millen, Georgia. In her youth, Celetta enjoyed ballet and tap dancing along with horseback riding, and a variety of other pets including her cherished dog Bobo and for a very short time, an alligator. As a teenager, Celetta enjoyed participating in the Halloween Carnival Parade dressed as a witch and enjoyed being part of many piano recitals.
As a 1954 graduate of Jenkins County High School (JHS), Celetta was president of the JHS student body her senior year and president of her class for the three years prior. She was captain for three years of the JHS cheerleading squad and captain of the Tennis team, winning regional competitions and went to the Georgia state tennis competition. After high school graduation, Celetta went on to attend Mercer University, studied drama at the University of Georgia and graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in English in May 1958. In college, Celetta was active in a number of theatrical productions, dramatic readings, and part of a marionette troupe. She was a member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, an affiliation she proudly shared with her daughters Lee and Camille.
Celetta married her high school sweetheart William Carlton Sanders, II (Bill), of Swainsboro, Georgia on May 25,1958 in her hometown of Millen, Georgia at her parents' home affectionately called, "The Leaf". Bill was a decorated Army officer, so Celetta and Bill lived in a variety of locations including Colorado, Germany, Kentucky, Kansas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia. Celetta often jokingly noted that she had made 19 moves in 26 years. In 1968 when Bill was in Vietnam, Celetta taught ninth grade high school English at LaFayette High School in LaFayette, Georgia.
Many years later, Celetta pursued her interest and studied television production and storytelling. Her passion led her to development and execution of several award-winning productions including a 1991 Arlington Cable television (ACT) Ammy Award for the informative "Are You Following Me?", an educational women's self-defense show. Celetta was a national award winner at the 1990 Hometown USA Video Festival for her show Potpourri: Dr. John's Prescription for a "Healthy Summer Garden" (1989), and a 1991 Hometown USA Video Festival Winner for "Are You Following Me?" where she proudly attended the awards ceremony in Portland, Oregon with her mother, Minnie Lee Dykes. She cherished that special trip and considered it a highlight of her professional accomplishments. Other noted productions include: The Christmas Voyage; Sunny O'Neill, Gift of Christmas Past: A Return to Victorian Tradition; Sop Doll; Potpourri: Dr. John's Prescription Landscaping Series, and she starred in a murder mystery film, Bedlam & Breakfast. She was a regular guest on the ACT Channel 33 talk show series, Girl Talk, 1992. Celetta was a producer of programming at Arlington Access Television Channel 33 and went on to be a production manager at Jones Cable Alexandria Channel 10 until she retired. Celetta also served as a substitute teacher and as a real estate agent for Gardner Realty in McLean, Virginia.
When living in Montgomery, Alabama, Celetta, who was an avid tennis player and swimmer, was an active member of the Maxwell Airforce Base, Gunter Women's Tennis League where she was a first-place trophy winner. Active in her McLean, Virginia community, Celetta was a member of the McLean Garden Club, McLean Newcomers Club, Great Falls Republican Club, and attended McLean Baptist Church.
In her retirement years, Celetta enjoyed spending time with her family in Virginia and summers and holidays in Georgia. Celetta and Bill enjoyed membership in the LaFayette First Baptist Church.
Celetta is preceded in death by her parents Minnie Lee Rankin Dykes and Coy Mandrel Dykes. She is survived by her husband of 67 years Col. William Carlton Sanders, II, two daughters, Celetta Lee Sanders (Timothy B. Jack) and Camille Lee Sanders Formica (Michael C. Formica), two grandsons, Hayden Lee Formica and William Pierce Formica; her sister, Coylee Dykes Bryan; two nephews, Jarratt Dykes Bryan (April Bryan): Adam Lee Bryan (Jerry Draper) and a grand-nephew, Jonathan Bryan. Celetta's family will never forget her warm encouragement, thoughtfulness, witty sense of humor that could always make you smile, creative cleverness, and deep love for her family and friends.
A private, family graveside service will take place in LaFayette, Georgia as Celetta's wishes were to be laid to rest in the family plot.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Celetta Dykes Sanders' name can be made and would be appreciated to support service animals; a cause for which Celetta was passionate.
Paws of Honor - https://pawsofhonor.org/
Paws of Honor is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing veterinary care and products at no charge for retired military and law enforcement K-9s across America. Their mission is to support these k-9 heroes by ensuring they receive the necessary medical care after their service. Additionally, Paws of Honor offers various ways for the public to contribute including donations and support initiatives. This organization has also received a positive rating on Charity Navigator, indicating its credibility and effectiveness.
The Seeing Eye - https://seeingeye.org/you-can-help/
The Seeing Eye is a philanthropic organization whose mission is to enhance the independence, dignity, and self-confidence of blind people through the use of Seeing Eye ® dogs.
US War Dogs Association - https://www.uswardogs.org/
The US War Dog Association (USWDA) was established in 2000 by Vietnam veterans representing the Marine Corps, Army and Airforce who found a common bond through K-9 and formed an organization to honor war dogs; past, present, and future. USWDA started with a mission of raising money to dedicate a memorial to honor the legacy of war dogs. The Memorial was dedicated in 2006, when dogs were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan a new mission was born to support those dog teams with care packages. Over the last 21 years, USWDA has donated to or gifted K-9 memorials to honor its war dog legacy, The association has shipped over 30,000 care packages to dog handlers serving overseas and are currently supporting over 1,000 returned military working dogs through its prescription program.