Michael James Sanderson AFSM (1939-2024) was born in the Seymour Soldiers Memorial Hospital to Jack and Gladys Sanderson of Tallarook, as the fourth of five sons.
He attended Tallarook Primary School and Sacred Heart College in Seymour.
Mr Sanderson was 18 when he met his future wife, Yvonne, at a Kilmore dance. They married in 1961, settled in Seymour, and were blessed with three children: Rhonda, Christine, and Dianne.
Mr Sanderson worked for the Victorian Railways from the ages of 16 to 19, beginning at Seymour as a conductor and concluding as the Molesworth Station Master.
He then worked for 48 years for the Shire of Seymour and Mitchell Shire Council, commencing as a truck driver, and retiring as a works inspector in 2007.
Mr Sanderson was a passionate and hardworking volunteer. He served with the CFA for 68 years, including eight years as the Seymour Urban Fire Brigade Captain.
He was also a long-term volunteer local area manager with the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal, and was very pleased with the Seymour District’s result this year, the incredible work by the volunteers, and the generosity of the community.
Over the decades, Mr Sanderson also helped to raise significant funds for the replacement of Seymour CFA vehicles through contracts to check and replace fire extinguishers.
He was made an Honorary Life Governor of the Royal Children’s Hospital in 1985.
While at Mitchell Shire Council, he received a plaque of appreciation for ‘dedicated service and commitment to local government’ (45 years’ service), presented by the Minister for Local Government (2004).
Mr Sanderson also received a McEwen International Year of the Volunteer Award (2001) for his outstanding contribution as a volunteer to the Seymour community.
The life of Mick Sanderson speaks for itself; he did a lot, gave more than he got, and dedicated his life to his community. He was a man who loved his family. He was humble, no-nonsense, and willingly volunteered to help when things needed to be done.
He had a fulfilling life following his passions, and he was committed to causes that were important to him. He will be missed but his memory will survive though his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and many friends.
