Larry Joe Sanderson Sr. went to be with his Lord on November 12, 2022, at his home in Page, Arizona, surrounded by loving family.
He was born in 1929 to Raleigh and Lois Sanderson in Salmon, Idaho. He was the third of eight children.
Larry was 93 years old and lived a long and blessed life. He served in the Navy during the Korean War on the USS Helena. After returning home, he married Susanne Wright in 1951. They remained married for 22 years. During that time, they raised five children in Page.
Larry worked for and retired from the Bureau of Reclamation, working on the Glen Canyon Dam project. He was the high scaler who set the first blast that started the dam. He was a boat pilot who set up the buoy system on Lake Powell and took many people out on the lake, including Norman Rockwell and some of the Kennedy children. He performed many rescue and recovery operations, climbing and scaling the treacherous walls of Glen Canyon.
Larry was a volunteer fireman in Page for many years. His children remember him jumping out of bed or leaving suddenly every time the sirens went off. He was also instrumental in getting the EMT department set up.
A lot of Larry's life was dedicated to running the Colorado River, before and after the dam was
Built. He ran 60 trips down the Colorado. He was part owner of Sanderson Brothers River Expedition along with his brother Jerry and their wives. Larry's love of the river spilled over to his children and grandchildren.
In 1978, Larry married Jean Davis and were happily married for 40 years. They lived in Page and Prescott, Arizona, and enjoyed many trips around the country from coast to coast, Mexico to Alaska in their motorhome, visiting family, helping with disaster relief and Christian sojourn projects.
Larry was the Coast Guard auxiliary commander and assistant commander in charge of Lake Powell. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and a lover of Jesus and God, a member of the Church of Christ both in Page and Prescott.
Larry is survived by his sister Karen Barwick; his first wife Susanne Queenan; his five children Katie, Gini, Larry Jr. (Sandy), Dorrie and David; stepchildren Diana Roberson and Tad Davis; 16 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.
Larry often joked that he knew he was getting old when his grandson became a grandpa. His memorial service will be held in Page, Arizona, on April 15, 2023, where his ashes will be laid to rest next to his beloved wife Jean.
