Lawrence "Bill" Lamar Sanders

In this production of life, Lawrence “Bill” Sanders played many roles — son, husband, father, craftsman, director, and friend — each with the same wit, curiosity, and creative spark that defined his time on and off the stage.

Born in Havre de Grace, Maryland, Bill discovered the joy of storytelling early. A graduate of Havre de Grace High School, Western Maryland College (B.A.), and the University of Georgia (M.F.A.), he spent his early years immersed in the theater — acting, directing, designing, and building the world behind the curtain. In 1970, his portrayal of Bill Sikes in Oliver! not only earned him a nickname that stuck for life but also friendships that lasted a lifetime. His work spanned Colony 7 Dinner Theater, Center Stage in Baltimore, the Children’s Theater Association, and productions across Maryland and Georgia.

When the final curtain fell on his stage career, Bill seamlessly moved to another kind of creative endeavor — homebuilding. As a site supervisor and project manager for Pulte Homebuilders, Gemcraft Homes, and Builder’s First Source, he brought the same eye for design and care for craft to the communities of Delaware and Maryland that he once brought to the set. His hands shaped both houses and stories, building things meant to last.

Even in retirement, Bill’s creativity found new stages: he crafted pieces from petrified wood and driftwood, guided local students through set designs for school productions like The Music Man and Little Shop of Horrors, and returned to the theater one final time in 2021, completing a full-circle encore to the art that had shaped him.

He was known for his quick wit, wry humor, and masterful craftsmanship — a man who could make an audience laugh, a room lighter, or a rough edge smooth.

Bill is survived by his wife, Emily Ann Sanders (known to all as Ann); his children, Matthew, Richard, and Katie; and his grandson, Nolan. He was preceded in death by his parents, William Lawrence and Alice “Elizabeth” Sanders.

A memorial service will be held at Rock Run United Methodist Church and Cemetery in Havre de Grace, Maryland, on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society in his memory.

The lights have dimmed, but the stage he built — in art, in craft, and in family — will stand strong for acts yet to come.

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