It is with deep sadness that we wanted to share about the passing of one of the Peoria Area World Affairs Council's founders, Dr. Richard "Dick" Sanders". Dr. Sander's was a long-time Board member & early President of the Peoria Area World Affairs Council.
Here is a copy of Dr. Sander's obituary:
Richard W. Sanders 83 of Eureka passed away at 5:02 a.m. on May 11, 2026 at The Apostolic Christian Home. Roanoke.. He was born on January 30, 1943, in Philadelphia. He was the son of W. Albert and Elizabeth G. (“Eva”) Sanders. He is survived by his brother William P. (Pamela) Sanders of Lorton, Virginia, his niece Deborah Sanders Lewis, his nephews David and Daniel, his good friend Carolyn Shepherd, and hundreds of his students. He was preceded in death by his parents.
He graduated from Abington High School in Pennsylvania in 1960 and Ursinus College, also in Pennsylvania, in 1964. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in European History from Duke University in Durham, N.C. He taught for two years each at Bradley University in Peoria and Missouri Baptist College in St. Louis. When college-teaching positions in History became scarce, he earned an M.B.A. in Marketing at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. He then worked as a college-textbook sales representative for the Macmillan Publishing Company in Central Illinois for seven years.
He returned to teaching European History at Eureka College in January 1984, and taught there until May 2012. Those twenty-five and a half years were among the best years of his life. After his retirement the Sanders Scholarship and the Sanders Atrium in the Ivy Hall dormitory at Eureka College were named in his honor. He was named an honorary alumnus of Eureka College in 2012. The Association of Fundraising Professionals named him Central Illinois Philanthropist of the Year in 2013. The Sanders Hall classroom building was dedicated in 2014.
He was a member and Past President of the Eureka Rotary Club and served several terms on its board. He was also a long-time board member and Past President of the Peoria Area World Affairs Council. He also served on the board of the Heartland Festival Orchestra. He was one of the forty founding members of his church, the New Covenant Community in Normal, Illinois. After his retirement from Eureka College, he taught several courses for retirees at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Bradley University.
Funeral services will be on Friday, May 15, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. at Argo Ruestman Harris Funeral Home in Eureka, Visitation will be for one hour prior to services. Burial will be in Olio Twp. Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in his honor may be directed to the Sanders Scholarship at Eureka College.
Online condolences may be sent to his family at www.argoruestmanharrisfuneralhome.com
Source: https://www.argoruestmanharris.com/obituaries/Richard-W-Sanders?obId=48358678
