Joann Gamble Sanders

        Joann Gamble Sanders, 91, of Florence, SC died Thursday, June 18, 2026. Born in Kingstree, SC, on October 23, 1934, as Elizabeth Joann Gamble, she was the daughter of Jodie Cantey Gamble and Thelma Cook Gamble. She was a longtime resident of Greeleyville, SC and a graduate of Greeleyville High School. She attended Columbia College and worked at the South Carolina Highway Department.

        She met her husband, Bobby Dean Sanders, when he was attending the University of South Carolina. They married on November 5, 1955, at the Greeleyville Methodist Church and were married for 66 years. They lived in Lancaster, Columbia, and settled in Florence, SC where they lived until his passing on Nov. 10, 2021.

        Mrs. Sanders worked with her husband, who was the owner of Office Supply Center of Florence until they retired. Mrs. Sanders was a member of the Junior League and a member of the D.A.R. for many years. Mrs. Sanders was a Christian and a former member of First Baptist Church, where she served as director of the WMU for many years and often assisted her husband in his various teaching roles in Sunday School. She was a regular participant in many bible studies. Recently she attended ChristPoint Church of Florence.

        Surviving are her daughters Lisa (Ken) Wells, Rankin (Larry) Miller, and Sandra (Pat) Honaker. She is also survived by her sisters, Theresa Lassiter and Gladys Cousar, as well as her sister-in-law, Judy Nix. Her grandchildren are Jessica (Cory) Christophillis, Elizabeth (Tristan) Malan, Coleman Wells, Joanna (Brian) Damico, Sarah (Edward) Lloyd, Morgan Honaker, and Al Honaker, as well as ten great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, her sisters Frances Gamble Gilliam and Alma Gamble DuPont, and her grandson, Lawton Thomas Miller.

        A special thank you goes to the staff of The Pines of Florence, where she lived for several years, as well as to the staff of McLeod Hospice House, who took gentle care of her in her final days.

        A graveside service will be held at Mount Hope Cemetery on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. She will be buried alongside her husband.

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