Personal History

In Loving Memory of Arnel SandersoN

Arnel Sanderson, a devoted husband, loving father and grandfather, and proud veteran of the United States Air Force, passed away peacefully in his sleep on August 21, 2026, at Hoag Hospital in Irvine, California, at the age of 82.

Born on June 14, 1944, in South Wales, Great Britain, Arnel lived a remarkable life filled with love, service, hard work, and family. While his life took him across many places—from Great Britain and Canada to Arizona, the Philippines, Turkey, and throughout the United States—his greatest journey was the life he built with the people he loved.

While stationed at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, Arnel married the love of his life, Emilia, in December 1965. He welcomed her children, Dante, Florida, and Rudy, into his heart and raised them as his own. He loved them, raised them, and became their father. Their son, Mark, was born during Arnel's years in the Air Force.

He loved his wife deeply. Even after Emilia's passing in April 2018, the love they shared remained an important part of his life. In the years after Emilia's passing, Arnel found comfort in listening to the music of the 1960s and 1970s every day. Each song seemed to bring him back to Emilia and the wonderful years they shared, keeping the memories of their life together alive in his heart. Now, after all these years apart, they are together again.

He loved his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren with the same devotion, and his family was the source of his greatest happiness.

He is survived by his brother, Neale Sanderson; sister, Michelle Lawrence; daughter, Florida Sanderson; sons, Rudy Sanderson and his wife, Joan, and Mark Sanderson; nine grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Emilia, who passed away in April 2018, and his son, Dante Sanderson, who passed away in early August 2026.

And although Arnel is no longer with us, the love he gave will continue through his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Friends and family are welcomed to gather for a service to celebrate Arnel’s life on Monday, August 31 at 2pm. These tributes to his life will be held at O’Connor Mortuary at 25301 Alicia Parkway, Laguna Hills, CA 92653.

You will always be loved.
You will always be missed.
And you will never be forgotten.