Helen Maxine Sanders, 85, died on November 29, 2017 at her residence on Grand St. in Portsmouth, VA. Born in Smithfield, NC on August 31, 1932 to the late Oscar Sanders and late Eunice Sanders, Helen Sanders cherished the memory of her late sister Jean H. Sanders.
Helen Sanders spent the early years of her life growing up in Portsmouth, where she received her early education at Douglas Park Elementary School and graduated from I C Norcom High School in 1950. She attended Fayetteville State Teachers College from 1950 to 1954 and received a Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education. In 1953, she pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She, later, received a Master’s of Arts in Early Childhood Education from New York University.
Helen Sanders worked for Portsmouth Public Schools, PPS, for 33.5 years: George Peabody School from 1954 to 1959 and Lakeview Elementary School from 1959 to 1988. While employed by PPS, she worked with Norfolk State University and Old Dominion University serving as a supervisor and mentor for Elementary Education Student Teachers.
Helen Sanders was a member of the Virginia Education Association and a lifetime member of the Virginia Congress of Parents and Teachers. As a member of Ebenezer Baptist Church, she served in the choir, the Women’s Service League, Starlight Club, and Noon Day Prayer Group. Her loving spirit and memory lives on in the hearts of friends and family of the church community.
She leaves to cherish her memories: her caregivers Leslie and Bonita Walden, their two children, and Carmen Battle; and a host of cousins and friends.
A wake service will be held on Thursday, December 7, 2017, from 6 pm to 8 pm at Corprew Funeral Home, 1822 Portsmouth Blvd., Portsmouth, VA 23704. A celebration of Helen’s life will be held on Friday, December 8, 2017, 11 am at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 728 Effingham St., Portsmouth, VA 23704.. Interment will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens, 3920 Airline Blvd., Chesapeake, VA 23321.
