Extracted from The Paducah Sun (Paducah, KY)
Charles Eugene Sanders, 70
Charles Eugene Sanders, 70, known to friends and family as Gene, died on Thursday, November 4, 2004, from complications of congestive heart failure.
Gene is survived by his only daughter, Lori Sanders Foley and her husband, Frank, of Tampa, Fla., and by one granddaughter, Moira Siobhan Foley of Tampa.
His one brother and sister-in-law, Bill and Kathy Sanders, reside in Barlow.
Gene was preceded in death by his wife, Claire LeFay Sowell Sanders, and by his parents, Harry Lee and Alice Lorraine Hailey Sanders.
Born in Cairo, Ill., Gene received engineering training at Louisiana Tech before entering the Air Force. In 1959, he began a career at the USEC plant in Paducah in instrumentation. During his 36 years of service to the plant, he also worked as a computer engineer, a trainer and a supervisor.
Following his retirement in 1995, Gene turned his talents and energy to family and friends, and to his community. A dedicated political awareness advocate and watchdog, prolifically published both locally and regionally, he worked with the Kentucky chapter of United We Stand America as a delegate for the Perot campaign in 1992. In 1995, Governor Brereton C. Jones presented him with a Kentucky Colonel award.
On October 4, 2004, he received his most valued honor for 33 years of active and continued service with the Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Society (ISA). Accompanied by his daughter, he traveled to Houston, where he received the Distinguished Society Service Award from the international organization during a gala ceremony.
Services will be held on Tuesday, November 9, 2004, at Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah at 2 p.m. The Rev. Homer Fletcher, pastor of Victory Baptist Church, will preside over services. Visitation is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, November 8, 2004, and on Tuesday, November 9, from 1 p.m. until the funeral hour. All friends and family are welcome.
Memorial contributions may be given to any humane society or animal shelter.
Tributes may be left online at www.milnerandorr.com.
Sunday, November 7, 2004