Walter A. Sanders, 51, of Big Spring, died Friday, December 13, 2002, at Scenic Mountain Medical Center. There will be a rosary at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Rosewood Chapel on Monday at 6:00 PM. Funeral Mass will be at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, December 17, 2002. Afterward, the deceased will be transported to Harrell Funeral Home, 4435 Frontier Trail (South Lamar & Ben White) in Austin, Texas (512) 443-1366. Funeral services will be held at Harrell Funeral Home at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, December 18, 2002, with interment immediately following. Born in Port Neches, Texas, Walter loved to travel. As a child he lived in Venezuela when his father worked for Shell Oil. He was an Eagle Scout. He attended Kermit High School, but graduated from West Jefferson High School in Louisiana. He returned to the Permian Basin to attend Howard County Junior College (now Howard College) before finally graduating from Louisiana State University in 1978 as a Petroleum Engineer. He worked for Texaco for twenty-four years. His assignments included Louisiana, Texas, Denmark in Europe, California, Angola in Africa, Sumatra in Indonesia, and Kuwait in the Middle East. He retired from Saudi Arabian Texaco, a subsidiary of Chevron Texaco, on August 1, 2002. Walter enjoyed participating in sports more than watching them. He played and coached softball. He went to college on a tennis scholarship, and played for the Caltex (a subsidiary of Texaco) company team in Indonesia. He was an avid golfer. In addition he enjoyed pool, darts, water sports, hiking and photography. But what he really loved was travel. He took his family on vacations to Europe, Australia and New Zealand, as well as touring the United States every Summer Home Leave. He was a true gentlemen, and it was a pleasure to be in his company. He was hospitable and a gracious host. He loved costume parties and Mardi Gras. He liked nothing better than a good joke. He went a long way for a good time. Walter married Marie Cynthia Boadle, daughter of Robert and Cynthia Boadle of Big Spring, Texas, on December 16, 1989. Survivors include his wife, Marie Boadle Sanders of Big Spring; his mother, Bobbie Sanders of Horseshoe Bay, Texas; his brother, Captain Michael Wayne Sanders of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; his daughter, Selena Faith Tolar of Kentwood, Louisiana; two sons, Matthew Wayne Sanders and Christopher Allen Sanders both of Geismar, Louisiana; and his youngest daughter, Jennifer Marie Sanders of Big Spring. His grandchildren include Ashton Shay Hughes, Tanner Lane Hughes, and Dawson Reid Tolar all of Kentwood, Louisiana and Kaitlin Rayne Sanders of Geismar, Louisiana. Honorary pallbearers include Michael W. Sanders, Matthew W. Sanders, Christopher A. Sanders, Russ Tolar of Kentwood, Louisiana, Jerry L. Nichols of Boonville, Missouri, James Allison of Midland, Texas, William Arnold of Houston, Texas, William O. Smith of Houston, Texas, James McKenzie of Houston, Texas and Wesley Paugh of Norman, Oklahoma. The family suggests memorials to the Boy Scouts of America, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society, the Lupus Foundation or the Texas School for the Blind. Arrangements under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home of Big Spring. www.npwelch.com,
