Lee Sanders

William Lee Sanders, Jr.

William Lee Sanders, Jr., age 84, passed away peacefully on Sunday morning, April 12,2026, at his residence in Columbus, Mississippi. Graveside services will be held at Friendship Cemetery on Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 3:00pm. Memorial Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

Lee was born in Columbus, Mississippi, on August 7, 1941, to the late William Lee Sanders, Sr. and Winifred Sargent Sanders.

He was a 1959 graduate from S. D. Lee High School and continued his education at the University of Georgia, where he was a member of the swim team and Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He later graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1963 with a degree in Business Administration.

Lee was a former owner and president of Sanders Oil Company and was a member of the Mississippi Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores Association.

Lee was a member of Magowah Gun Club and was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing. He traveled extensively across the United States and abroad on both saltwater and freshwater fishing and hunting trips. Among his most treasured memories were the times spent with close friends on these adventures and at his farm in Noxubee County.

Lee was deeply involved in barbecue events, including being one of the founding members of the Possum Town Pig Fest. He participated in many Memphis in May barbecue cooking contests with his team, The Possum Town Pork Forkers. He served as a past president and board member of the Columbus Swim Association.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Winifred Anne Sanders, and his daughter, Winifred Anne Sanders.

He is survived by his daughter, Stephanie Sanders McMullen (Nat); his son, William Lee Sanders, III (Ginny); his grandchildren, William Lee Sanders, IV (Liam) and Katherine Carr Sanders (Kate); his brothers, Harry S. Sanders and David L. Sanders, both of Columbus, Mississippi; his nephews, Hank Sanders (Brandy) of Columbus, Mississippi, Gordon Sanders of Columbus, Mississippi, Parker Sanders (Katherine) of Atlanta, Georgia, and Robert Sanders (Lindsey) of Atlanta, Georgia and his niece, Hilah Sanders of Columbus, Mississippi.

Honorary pallbearers will be Lynn Abernethy, Bill Blair, Billy Phillips, Bud Phillips, Ralph McLean, Jack Carr, Scooter Lang, Art Mills, Calvert Naugle, Si Thomas and Danny Waldon, as well as members of the Peckerwoods Lunch Club and the River Poker Club.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to his loving caregivers, Tiffany Tate, Vanessa, Fisher, Octavia Stowers, Shakeria Stowers, Andrea Rice, Kim Dudley, Cheryl Jackson and Tracey Smith, for their compassionate care.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Columbus Lowndes Humane Society, 50 Airline Road, Columbus, Mississippi 39701, in honor of his faithful companion, Dee Dee.