Leon Franklin Sanderson

Leon Sanderson (93) passed away on December 8, 2025 having lived a full and engaged life, surrounded by love and family.

Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.

Born in Ypsilanti, Michigan on April 30, 1932 to Walter Joseph and Ethel Mary (Strong) Sanderson, Leon was one of five siblings. Growing up in central Michigan, Leon graduated top of his class from Vestaburg High School. He went on to Michigan State University, where he earned both BS and MS in Agricultural Engineering. A blind date to a basketball game and record dance with a cute freshman turned into a beautiful journey together. He and Lucy (Sweat) Sanderson married on June 29, 1957; she was the love and joy of his life.

Uncle Sam allowed them a short honeymoon before Leon reported for duty with the Army, where he served as an engineer before joining the Reserves.

Leon worked 40 years for John Deere, mostly at the Des Moines Works, designing cotton pickers. He holds at least nine patents. When asked what his job was, he’d reply with a grin, “a cotton-pickin’ engineer”. His work took him to cotton fields around the world, from the southern United States to Australia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Spain, and Mexico.

Leon and Lucy settled in Des Moines, Iowa where they built their lives and raised their family. Their first daughter, Debby, lived 10 months, and they were blessed with two more daughters – Kathryn and Mary. They found their church home at Windsor Presbyterian where they remained active and involved members for the rest of their lives. A man of faith, Leon embodied the Christian spirit with love and kindness for others – he always had a warm smile and greeting whether you were family, friend, or stranger. Active in the community, Leon volunteered in the PTA, spent countless hours helping at church, sang in the church choir, served as an election judge, participated in the Iowa caucuses, and hosted an annual neighborhood Memorial Day breakfast.

He and Lucy took international trips with The Friendship Force and welcomed travelers into their home, building connections across cultures. In addition to annual family camping trips across the US, his journeys took him to China, Germany, Canada, Russia, England, Scotland, New Zealand, and Panama.

Discovering bicycling as a hobby in his 40’s, Leon rode more RAGBRAIs (annual 500-mile bike ride across Iowa) than could be counted – often joined in the early years by his daughters and a pack of their friends. Leon also founded the Des Moines Mayor’s Annual Ride. To mark his 80th birthday, Leon completed an 80-mile ride, and by the end of his cycling days he had logged more than 200,000 miles on his last bike.

In 2021, Leon and Lucy moved to Dallas to be near both daughters and found a new family of friends at Belmont Village of Turtle Creek, where they quickly became regulars at the bridge table.

Above all, Leon was most proud of his family – he was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Leon is survived by his daughters Kathy (Keith) Rabuse and Mary (Jon) Diamond; along with grandchildren Kalyn and Megan Rabuse and Nathan and Eric Diamond. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Lucy; daughter Deborah (Debby) Lynn Sanderson; his parents Walter and Ethel Sanderson; brothers Arnold, Otto, and Harold Sanderson; and sister Treva (Sanderson) Timour.

Services and a celebration of Leon’s life will be held 10:30am on Thursday, December 18, 2025 at Belmont Village of Turtle Creek, 3535 N Hall St, Dallas, TX 75219, and will be live streamed. Live stream will also be hosted in Ward Hall at Windsor Presbyterian Church, 6391 University Ave, Windsor Heights, IA 50324.

Live stream link: https://youtube.com/live/B0qjvxPoqEY?feature=share

In lieu of flowers, donations to Windsor Presbyterian Church in Des Moines, IA are appreciated.