David M. Sanders, 75,

passed away Friday, Nov. 21, 2008, at his home in Columbia Falls.

He was born March 18, 1933, in Boise, Idaho, to Harold and Lorraine Sanders. The family lived at Arrow Rock Dam, then moving to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and then to Wallace, Idaho. He attended school there. The family moved to Billings and in 1949 to Columbia Falls. He graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1952.

He loved sports and played football, basketball and track. In the summer, he worked at the Hungry Horse Dam.

He married Delores Ball in August 1952.

Dave was drafted into the Army in 1953. His basic and officers candidate school was at Ford Ord, Calif., then overseas to Korea and then to Scofield Army Base in Honolulu. After his honorable discharge in 1955, he returned to Columbia Falls.

Construction was just being finished on the Anaconda Aluminum Company Plant and he was one of the first hires at the start of production. He worked for 32 years, the last 20 years as a pot line foreman. He retired in 1985. He then went to work for Big Sky Resort in security and was chief coffee maker and fire builder. He worked there 12 more years and retired.

He and Delores then began spending winters in warm, sunny Kona, Hawaii.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and a granddaughter.

Dave is survived by his wife, Delores; daughters, Debra and Ken Horinek of Kalispell, Dixie Schult and special friend, Bruce Weighall, of Afton, Wyo., and Dannette and Kirk Dana of Thayne, Wyo.; nine grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; brothers, Wayne of Libby and Carl and Joyce of Columbia Falls; sister, Carol and Dave Fleihr of Grants Pass, Ore.; sisters-in-law, Pat Kjosen and Myrna and Dwight Hauglie of North Dakota, and Farrel and Lou Palazzo of New York; and many nieces and nephews.

His hobbies included camping, fishing, and more fishing; also tying flies, the "Sanders Special" and making green jigs for his fishing buddies.

He enjoyed spending the summers at Bitterroot Lake, laying in the hammock, naming the wildlife and bird watching, especially the eagle family that nested every year, and of course fishing.

He passed away peacefully at home getting ready to go fishing. His ashes will be scattered this coming summer as per his wishes in his favorite fishing spots.