Oscar Allen Sanders

Oscar Allen Sanders, beloved husband, father, and grandfather passed away Friday, March 24, 2023, at the North Carolina Heart & Vascular Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was 88 years old.

An electrician and craftsman who rarely encountered a problem he couldn’t solve, Allen was born on October 12, 1934, in Dade City, Florida, to Beulah Marie Lee and Thomas Bennett Sanders. When his father lost his job with the railroad during the Great Depression, he came to North Carolina in “a fish box” together with his older sisters Dorris and Tommy Lee. After graduating from Smithfield High School in 1953, he met the love of his life, Nellie Ruth McLamb of Clayton and the two were married on December 23, 1956. Shortly afterwards, he joined the Electrical Equipment Company in Raleigh and in 1963, he went to work for the News & Observer where he thrived, eventually becoming Machine Shop Foreman before retiring after 33 years of service. While at the N&O, he attended night courses at W.W. Holding Industrial Education Center (now Wake Tech) and eventually became a North Carolina-licensed electrical contractor.

Allen and his wife were avid travelers and had been to all 50 states – some states numerous times, as well as many national parks. When asked what the most interesting thing was that he had seen in all his travels, he would respond “the giant sequoia redwood trees in California” and start a discussion about the trees that would rival anything a national park guide could tell.

A self-taught carpenter and welder, Allen and his wife built their primary residence near Garner, a camper they traveled in, and a vacation home just outside of Swansboro, North Carolina where he pursued one of his greatest passions: boating and fishing. Allen and Nellie also volunteered their time and talents to help Hurricane Katrina victims in Pascagoula, Mississippi rebuild their damaged homes.

In addition to his wife of 66 years, Allen is mourned by his sister Dorris New, son Roger and wife Beth, daughter Kathy and husband Johnny Goins, grandchildren Kristen and Tyler, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be hosted on March 29th at 1:00 PM at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, 1200 Benson Road, Garner, NC. Visitation will be from 11:30 to 12:45 before the service. Burial will take place at Montlawn Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers - donations can be made to Fellowship Baptist Church, 5029 Old Stage Road, Raleigh, NC, 27603, American Heart Association or The National Kidney Foundation.