Terry James Sanders

Mr. Terry James Sanders passed this life at St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital on March 31, 2025 at the age of 50. He was born on February 28, 1975 in Tullahoma, TN to the late Richard Sanders and Brenda Stewart.

He was loving, kind, dependable, hardworking, and humble. He would give you the shirt off his back. He would give to those in need even during his own hard times. His humor was unmatched. He had the kind of presence that would leave you breathless from laughter. He was the most hilarious person and could make you smile even when you didn’t want to. If you knew him you were blessed because he had the sweetest soul. Terry was the soulmate and love of Racheal’s life. Terry was an extraordinary husband, father, son, sibling, and friend. He took pride in being a one of a kind father and instilling his beautiful personality into his children. He had a deep passion for poetry, and was such a talented writer. His favorite football team was Alabama Crimson Tide. His favorite movie was “The Crow”. He enjoyed grunge music from the 90s and 2000s, his favorite band being Alice in Chains, and he also enjoyed traveling, going on hikes, his sword collection, and decorating in asian themes in his home. Most of all, he loved the time spent with his family.

He is survived by his loving wife Racheal Sanders and his children Austin Sanders, Sierra Sanders, Brett Martin, and Matthew Day. He is also survived by his brothers Casey Sanders (Brandi), Tony Sanders (Micah), and his sisters Raven Sanders and Alicia Devlin (Mitchell). He is also survived by many grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, an uncle, and friends, each of whom will carry him in their hearts for the rest of their lives.

A memorial visitation and service will be held on Sunday, April 6th, 2025 at Daves Culbertson Funeral Home in Tullahoma from 1-2 P.M. The service is at 2 P.M. and will be officiated by Chad Conn in the chapel of the funeral home.

His children Austin and Sierra Sanders write,

“There never was, or ever will be, a man quite like my father. He is everything a man should aspire to be. A man of conviction, yet sensitive. A man of unparalleled strength, yet sentimental, kind, patient, empathetic. A man of morals, honor, values. Quick to laugh and quicker to make you laugh even harder. A man who worked back-breaking jobs in the blistering heat - day in, day out - hands cracked and bleeding, hammering hot shingles into a roof that was all but melting, giving way to the summer sun, just to wake up the next day and do it all over again for his family. A man who works himself to the bone to provide for his children and family, yet still comes home with a smile on his messy face, battered and beaten by the day, sweat-drenched clothes clinging to his body, to embrace his wife and children and treat them with the utmost kindness and grace. The same man would come home and write poetry elegant enough to make grown men weep. His style and mastery of the art of poetry is unparalleled, capable of capturing the very human spirit in but a humble few lines. A surgeon with a pen, meticulously carving out the emotions we hide deep inside of ourselves and showing them to us plain as the blue summer sky. If he had eggs in his fridge and bread in his pantry, he would give you his last dollar and eat egg sandwiches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner until his next check. Everyone on this side of Tennessee has heard the name Terry Sanders for his good deeds, generosity, and way of being that we can all only aspire to. The finest man there ever was, or ever will be. We will never see his like again. We could not have asked for a better father.“