Oregon Mourns Passing Of Bob Sanders
11/12/19 | General
The former UO football letterman and university benefactor passed away Tuesday at the age of 91.
The University of Oregon department of athletics is mourning the loss of football letterman and longtime university supporter Bob Sanders, who passed away Tuesday morning at the age of 91.
Sanders, a 1951 graduate of the UO, was the driving force behind Jane Sanders Stadium, donating $16 million to the softball stadium project that bears the name of his late wife, a former Oregon cheerleader and 1950 UO grad who passed away in 2013.
"Mr. Sanders was a great man," said Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens. "He was a phenomenal supporter of our University, appreciated his experience as an Oregon football player, and valued the role of intercollegiate athletics. He and Mrs. Sanders both loved the University of Oregon dearly and supported it in so many ways, and our thoughts are with the Sanders family during this difficult time. We will certainly miss Mr. Sanders, and we are grateful to have known him."
A native of Charleston, Ore., Sanders spent his career in the lumber industry, turning a summer job at a sawmill into one of the most successful lumber businesses in the Northwest, RSG Forest Products, Inc. He was a three-year letterman for the Ducks, leading the Pacific Coast Conference in rushing in 1948 and ranking in Oregon's top 10 in career rushing and points scored for more than three decades.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Sanders, a 1951 graduate of the UO, was the driving force behind Jane Sanders Stadium, donating $16 million to the softball stadium project that bears the name of his late wife, a former Oregon cheerleader and 1950 UO grad who passed away in 2013.
"Mr. Sanders was a great man," said Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens. "He was a phenomenal supporter of our University, appreciated his experience as an Oregon football player, and valued the role of intercollegiate athletics. He and Mrs. Sanders both loved the University of Oregon dearly and supported it in so many ways, and our thoughts are with the Sanders family during this difficult time. We will certainly miss Mr. Sanders, and we are grateful to have known him."
A native of Charleston, Ore., Sanders spent his career in the lumber industry, turning a summer job at a sawmill into one of the most successful lumber businesses in the Northwest, RSG Forest Products, Inc. He was a three-year letterman for the Ducks, leading the Pacific Coast Conference in rushing in 1948 and ranking in Oregon's top 10 in career rushing and points scored for more than three decades.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
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