My grandfather, and father figure, Carl Austin Sanders, 78, of Decatur, passed away on Thursday, March 4, 2021. Gramps was special to me in ways words can’t define. Thank you for your continued support through this time. I was honored to be one of his caregivers through this transition. His arrangements and obituary are as follows: Funeral service will be held on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at 7 p.m. in the Chapel of Decatur Funeral Home and Cremation Services. Interment will be on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 11 a.m. at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Bradley County. The family will receive friends from 5-7 prior to the service. He is the son of the late Ollie Sanders, Sr., and Oma Merritt Sanders. He was of the Baptist faith, and retired from Labors Local 543. He enjoyed collecting & restoring classic cars, and was a Johnny Cash fan. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife: Vivian Sanders; brothers: Hubert, Clarence, Ollie Jr, Mick, Howard, Johnny; sisters: Nellie Mills, Kathleen Wilson, Eunice Adkins, Opal Martin, Macie Carter. He was survived by his children: Carla Sanders-Hardin (Mike) of Georgetown, Connie Sanders of Cleveland, Debbie Sanders of Rock Spring, GA, Ollie Sanders, III (Patricia) of Concord, GA; sister: Charlotte Maynard of Cleveland, OH; Grandchildren: Nicki Henderson, Keith Owens, David Sanders, Dacotah Sanders, Jesse Owens, Matthew Sanders, Hunter Sanders, Katelynne Prichard, Ian Prichard, Stephen Prichard, Everleigh Owens, Copelynn Dollar; close family friends: Keith Nitsch, Jasmine Brown, Janice Besaw; fur babies: Oxley & Portia; several nieces, nephews, and other extended family. Special Thank You to Savannah, Levita, Summer, Bill, Sharon, Rachel, and all the other staff of Encompass Home Health of Athens for all their support. (at Cleveland, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMEi6LPHVTV/?igshid=1xeadyqdkt3av