Arnold, CA…Stephen Ray Sanderson passed away on Tuesday, January 4th, 2022. He is survived by his spouse of 47 years, Lisa Sanderson. He is also survived by his four sons, 10 grandchildren, and his sister Judy. There will be a Memorial for Steve via Zoom on January 29, 2022 at 1pm. If you would like further details on how to attend his Zoom Memorial, please contact Elijah Sanderson at 209-795-2502.

Stephen was born in Orange, California in 1950 to Theodore and Vivian Sanderson and soon after Stephen’s baby sister Judy was welcomed into the family. His Father Theodore worked as an Airline Pilot for TWA and this occupation would move the family abroad to Saudi Arabia in 1958. Steve and Judy used to share how their Father was a true life Indiana Jones character, their childhood filled with sailing and snorkeling in the Red Sea, family vacations in Egypt and trips all over Europe as they grew up. A life long love of the freedom of sailing was formed and Steve had the priviledge of attending sailing school in Holland at the age of 12. Of all the exotic trips and experiences Steve had as a child, he had a longing to have children of his own and land to raise them where he could see his family grow. Seeing so many fantastic wonders of the world helped Steve grow a desire to learn if their was a Creator and what was God’s purpose for Mankind. In 1964 the family moved back to the U.S. and took up residence in Antioch, California where his Uncle Dan was investing in a new project. Steve would learn to become a true traditional artisan with building and shaping wooden House Boats thanks to his father, along with a friend, opening S & H Boat Yard Houseboats at the Antioch Marina on the San Joaquin River. Steve could become skillful and an expert at any vocation he learned. When the boat building turned into a non-traditional Fiberglass style, this led Steve to start his own array of successful businesses and even venture into Real Estate.
Steve married and began his family by welcoming his first son Teddy. Then, In 1975, Steve married the love of his life, Lisa Renee Espinoza and would welcome 3 more sons, Elijah, Benjamin, and Charles. With all of the successful business ventures, Steve’s desire to be in harmony with the earth and to grow his own food ultimately brought him and his family to Calaveras
County in 1982. They called 40 acres in the town of Wallace home, building their farm to raise animals and organic produce, to truly live off their land. Steve taught his boys to love animal husbandry and to plant orchards of Walnut and Fruit trees, to see how the land could provide for your family if you took care of it. Steve taught his boys the value of hard work, to be productive in anything they did, to have patience and integrity, valuable lessons that help his boys to provide for their own families to this day. Steve would become a General Contractor, starting his own construction company and continuing to add to his skills as an Artisan, building many projects in the
County.
The family ended up in the Arnold area of Calaveras County and at the age of 46 Steve took on a new career with PG&E in the General Construction Gas Division and became a Foreman, a position he still held until his untimely death at the age of 71. During this time Steve also would build his own custom house for his family to gather, finding his greatest delight in becoming a Grandfather. Steve could be characterized as being quiet and reserved, but that was only until you got to know him. He was known as a man of Faith, a loyal, loving, and sincere person who was easy-going. The family takes comfort in the hope given in the fullfillment of the promises of Isaiah 25:8,9, Isaiah 51:11, and Isaiah 65:21, 22, to see Steve again in God’s New World.