SANDERS, STEPHEN THACHER. Steve was born July 12, 1946 in Dallas, Texas. He passed away Thursday, November 18, 2004 at the home of his sister in McKinney, Texas. Steve had lived in DeSoto, Texas since 1991. Steve attended public schools in Dallas, Austin, and Tyler, Texas, Kilgore Junior College, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, California, and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drama in 1969. He had a long career as a voice-over artist and actor in the Dallas area doing voices for commercials, corporate promotions, industrial films and feature films, including animations. Steve was the Emcee for "Exposure.. The Performers Showcase" each month at the Ozona Grill in Dallas. He performed in many feature films and on television including episodes of Dallas, Walker, Texas Ranger, Barney and Friends and the made-for-TV feature, "Murder in the Heartland". His stage performances included work in Dallas' Shakespeare Festival, as well as many local repertory productions. He began his stage work as a teenager in Austin Civic Theatre productions. He enjoyed a 30 year career in the food and beverage and wholesale/retail wine industry including nearly 20 years with American Wine and Importing Company, and for the last six years was employed at Tony's Wine Warehouse in Dallas as a winemaster/class instructor and sales person. Steve was also a veteran of the United States Army, a volunteer reader for Reading and Radio Resource (formerly North Texas Taping and Radio for the Blind) and was a member of the Episcopal church. Steve is survived by his son, Scot Thacher Sanders and wife Shanta of Monterey California, his mother, June Sanders of Lookout Mountain, Georgia, brothers, Arnold Joe Sanders, Jr. and wife Mary, of DeSoto, Texas, Bruce Allan Sanders of Lookout Mountain, Georgia, sister, Diane Mueller and husband Fred, of McKinney, Texas, and many nieces and nephews. He was also blessed with a large community of friends who supported him in many ways during his battle with cancer. He was preceded in death by his father, Arnold Joe Sanders, Sr. and a sister, Beverly June Sanders. Services will be held Friday, November 26 2004 at 2 PM at Laurel Land Funeral Home, 6000 South R. L. Thornton Freeway, Dallas Texas. Burial will follow at Laurel Land Cemetery. Pallbearers are Fred Mueller, Scot Sanders, John Petty, Steve Monahan, Michel Monzain, and Jean-Bernard Lamour. Dallas Laurel Land 214-371-1336
Published by Dallas Morning News on Nov. 24, 2004.