Marlene Smith Sanders, 74

February 18, 2024

Marlene Smith Sanders, 74, died on February 18, 2024 at the Mennonite Home in Lancaster after a lengthy illness. She was the widow of William E. Sanders, who died in September of 2023. In May of 2023, they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.

Marlene was a lover of cross-stitching, the fruits of which grace the walls of some friends and family. She loved working on crossword puzzles with her husband; friends can easily visualize her peering over her reading glasses with a pencil in her hand working through the daily puzzle. Marlene was an avid reader for most of her life, devouring fiction and biographies. She and her husband shared many trips to the Outer Banks in North Carolina with dear friends and shared trips to the New Orleans Jazz Festival; their home included many music-themed prints from their trips to the festival.

Marlene was born in Lancaster and spent most of her life there. She graduated from Goldey-Beacom College. During her young adult life she worked at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. She later worked as a production manager for Identicard, a manufacturer of identity credentials located in Lancaster. She and her husband were long-time residents of the West End of the City of Lancaster.

Survivors include a brother, R. Stanley Smith, husband to Susann of Lancaster; one nephew, Steven Smith, of Wrightsville; a niece, Stacie, wife to Scott Johnson of Lancaster; and grand-niece and grand-nephew, Taylor and Xander Johnson. Survivors also include her sister-in law-Christine Powers and husband Richard Powers and their sons, Garrity, Daniel and William and three grand-nieces; and her brother-in-law Wardell Sanders and his wife Erica Rubine and their two children, Lily and Ian.

She is predeceased by her husband, William E. Sanders; parents, Ruth H. Smith and Clarence F. Smith; a sister Linda Smith; and a sister-in-law Joy Sanders.

She will be greatly missed by many.

A visitation will be held on Sunday, March 3rd, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm at the Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home, 3110 Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA. Please omit flowers. If desired, contributions in Mrs. Sanders’ memory may be made to: Hospice and Community Care, P.O. Box 4125, Lancaster, PA 17604-4125; or the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 6704, Hagerstown, MD 21741.