On April 9, 2021, Kevin Andrew Sanderson’s spirit left his body following a heart attack. Kevin was born on Aug. 25, 1978, in Alamosa, Colo., to Tom and Margaret Sanderson, while his 2-year-old sister, Ginger, (only sibling) waited excitedly at home with her Grandmother Sanderson.
Kevin completed K-12 at Sargent School graduating in 1997. He attended two Colorado junior colleges before completing his four-year degree at CSU in animal science. After five years working at a Lamar feedlot and gaining valuable experience, he moved to Flagstaff, Ariz., where he earned his MBA at Northern Arizona University.
He then moved home for a short while before landing a job in October 2011 with Wilbur-Ellis in El Centro, Calif., where he became their top marketer in the company’s forage division. He was their representative to Japan making many trips to that country to market Wilbur-Ellis animal feed products. He helped develop an alfalfa/oat horse-pellet which quickly rose in popularity, both in Japan and locally. He was instrumental in turning the Wilbur-Ellis mill around making it, once again, a profitable enterprise.
Kevin was loved and respected by his colleagues and his buyers alike. During these difficult COVID times, the buyers would put their trust in Kevin without seeing the products and buy what Kevin recommended. He was especially knowledgeable about Sudan grass.
He has been a member of the United States Forage Export Council since shortly after joining the company and last December he was elected by his peers to serve as the officer for the Southern Region.
Quiet in nature and always thinking, Kevin will leave an empty hole in many lives as well as an impressive legacy. He loved the San Luis Valley and loved to fish, tying many of his flies.
Recently his boss and two young children went on a fishing adventure near El Centro with Kevin where “Kevin knew all the fishing spots.” He also enjoyed riding horses and mules in the mountains and hunting with his dad and he enjoyed mom’s home cooking.
Kevin was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents (Laura Lee and Clifford Sanderson) and maternal grandparents (Arch and Betty Chisholm) along with many aunts and uncles and some cousins, notably his uncle James Andrew Chisholm and his cousin, Jerod Andrew Chisholm.
He is survived by his parents, Tom and Margaret Sanderson and his sister and her husband, Ginger (George) Mentz, and their three girls, Madeleine, Anna, and Claire. He is also survived by Tom’s sister Betty (Glen Burns) Brink, and Margaret’s living siblings, John Chisholm, George (Kathy) Chisholm, JoAnn (Ed) Gulczynski, and Beth (Gary) Neuger.
A memorial service is scheduled for Friday, May 21, 2021, at 2 p.m. at Rogers Family Mortuary in Monte Vista. Casual dress is encouraged.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made through the mortuary to Shriners Hospitals for Children. To express condolences, please visit www.rogersfunerals.com.
Rogers Family Mortuary in Monte Vista is in care of the arrangements.