Rev. David Odell Sanders, Jr.'s Obituary
Reverend David Odell Sanders, Jr. of Dallas, Texas, was 57 years old when he transitioned from this world to Glory, just hours before he was set to return home under hospice care, on June 30, 2025. The only child of the late Oma Darlene (Hutchinson) Sanders and Reverend David Odell Sanders Sr. was an early Christmas present at Baylor Hospital in Dallas, Texas, on December 20, 1967.
David did not just speak the Word, he lived it, and was always anchored in his faith in God. At the age of six, David invited God into his heart, while his mother was giving him his nightly bath. That simple yet sacred moment marked the beginning of his lifelong, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He went from a youth, singing in the choir stands of Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, to the pulpit, as a youth minister serving at New Hope Church of God in Christ in Hawkins, Texas.
He grew up in South Oak Cliff’s Singing Hills neighborhood and began his educational career by attending the following Dallas ISD schools. R. L. Thornton Elementary, O. W. Holmes Middle School Academy, Business Management Center (9th grade), and South Oak Cliff High School (10th grade). David’s family relocated to Wills Point, Texas, at the beginning of his junior year of high school, so that his father would be closer to the church that he pastored, Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church. David graduated from Wills Point High School in 1986.
In the fall of 1986, David was a college freshman at Jarvis Christian College (JCC) in Hawkins, Texas. Due to personal and academic challenges, he left school and life in East Texas by moving to Dallas where he found a new opportunity to attend school at Paul Quinn College. During that time at Paul Quinn he matured, flourished, and ultimately made the dean’s list, and was honored in Outstanding Young Men of America publication. With great resolve to finish what he had started, David returned to JCC with laser focus and matriculated in May of 1993 with a major in History and a minor in Religion. He later earned his Master of Education in May 2015 at Concordia University.
David followed in the footsteps of both his parents and became a minister and an educator. In 1991, David delivered his first sermon and was licensed under Pastor S. C. Nash, Sr. of Mount Tabor Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, the same church where his father was ordained. When David returned to Jarvis Christian College, he served as a minister at New Hope Church, where Elder Holland and his family helped to sharpen both his pastoral voice and his vision for life and leadership.
In the classroom, David began his educational career as a substitute teacher and teacher’s assistant at Garland ISD. He returned to Paul Quinn College in preparation for his teacher certification exam, which he took a few times before finally passing. Whether guiding students at John XXIII Catholic School, Life Charter, or Northside Elementary in DeSoto, David brought the same passion to teaching as he did preaching. Because he had experienced the opportunity of a second chance, David believed deeply in making sure every student knew not to give up as their life’s story was not over until God said it was over.
David met Jennifer Lynette Jennings in 1993 at the wedding of Eric (David’s best friend and college roommate) and Keitha (one of Jennifer’s best friends whom she knew from middle school). Early on, David and Jennifer knew that their love story was a match made in heaven. On July 9th, 1994, they married at Pleasant Grove Community Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. Almost five years later, their only child, daughter, Elisabeth Lynette (Lizzie) Sanders, was born on January 4, 1999.
As Lizzie grew up, David found ways to further his career while also staying involved in her life. He passed down his love for tennis by taking her to local tennis lessons, he attended almost every school event, even when mobility became an issue, and he drove her and her friends to social outings but stayed nearby in his truck. When he taught at the elementary school where she attended, he dedicated time to creating the DeSoto Dads’ Club, where he urged fathers of Northside Elementary School students to become involved and spend time volunteering and aiding teachers. In May of 2024, when Lizzie earned her master’s degree, her only wish was for her father to be there in person. So, he hired a transport service to take him in his motorized wheelchair from his home in DeSoto to Richardson and back; and he cheered the loudest for his daughter when she crossed the stage to receive her diploma.
David and Jennifer bloomed wherever they attended church and volunteered primarily in the children and youth ministry. They served at Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church, The Potter’s House (where he was licensed as a minister), Oak Cliff Assembly of God, and the Covenant Church. During his final years, they joined Concord Church as e-members, while he started his own virtual men’s ministry and faithfully co-taught Bible study on Tuesday nights for New Hope Church.
He was quick with a joke, sharp with scripture, and no story of David’s life would be complete without mentioning his admiration for the Dallas Cowboys football team. Fall Sundays consisted of attending church to hear God’s Word with afternoons cheering on “America’s Team.” Through the fumbles, flags, and failed seasons, he remained loyal watching from his living room recliner on game day, with the same passion, perseverance, and joy he had for life.
David was a man of many titles: Son. Husband. Father. Brother. Uncle. Godfather. Minister. Teacher. Mentor. Friend. Cowboys Fan. But the one he cherished most was being a Child of God. Rev. Sanders, Jr., is preceded in death by his parents, Rev. David O. Sanders, Sr., and Oma Darlene (Hutchinson) Sanders, and his sister, DeLores Brown. Leaving behind to cherish his memory are his wife, Jennifer L. (Jennings) Sanders; daughter, Elisabeth L. Sanders; sisters, Carolyn O’Quinn Phillips and Debbie Crooms; brothers (in-laws), Christopher K. Redmon, Curtis K. Redmon, CDR Larry D. Galdeano, Otis B. Jennings PhD; sisters (in-love), Robbie G. Redmon, Verna M. Smith, Mary E. Jennings-Galdeano DDS, Leonora Tisdale Jennings, DNP, FNP-C; Godchildren, Shanese T. Williams, Aundre D. Williams, Aeisha V. Sanders, and Victoria C. Ogwo; and Godgrandchild, Joshua Z. Sanders. In addition, his memory will be cherished by a host of loving family members and dear friends.
Though his earthly life is now finished, his legacy lives on in the students he taught, the sermons he preached, the lives he touched, and the team he never stopped believing in.
He’s now resting in peace, likely singing with the heavenly choir, and keeping one eye on the scoreboard as he watches a Dallas Cowboys game.
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