In Remembrance: Cameron H. Sanders III ’87 Died on May 6 2022

View full image

Cam Sanders, 56, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 6, 2022, surrounded by family and friends, at his home in Los Angeles after several years living with cancer. Born in Cincinnati, he spent early peripatetic years as a Foreign Service child at his family’s postings in the Middle East, Europe, and Washington, DC.

He graduated from St. Paul’s School and Yale, where he majored in comparative literature and wrote his senior essay on Jean Genet’s Un Chant D’Amour. At Yale, Cam acted in numerous plays, sang in the Spizzwinks, and generally set the community alight. He had a strong commitment to social justice and was an active member of the gay and lesbian movement on campus, and an organizer of the Gay and Lesbian Awareness Days. He spent his junior year in Berlin.

After many years of acting and writing in New York City, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked on script teams for several comedy shows including Will and Grace, became a gourmet cook, and trained professionally as a photographer at Santa Monica College.

A remarkable photojournalist and portrait photographer, he could capture your best self on film. He was a longtime member of All Saints Church Pasadena and a dedicated baritone in its Canterbury Choir. He also was a passionate actor, tap dancer, masters swimmer, pianist, writer, cutthroat Scrabble player, champion crossword puzzler, and dog adopter. Multifaceted as he was, he may be best remembered as a true friend.  He leaves behind beloved communities in all aspects of his life.

Cam was predeceased by his mother, Betsy Sanders, of Washington, DC. He is survived by his father, Cameron H. Sanders Jr. ’85MFS; siblings Helen Gray ’86, Marcia Loughran, and Nick Sanders; extended family David Loughran, Erika Erzberger, Julian Gray, and Kim Bender; nieces and nephews Jamie, Katherine, Emily, Jojo, Ben, Lillian, and Simon; his cherished Staffordshire terrier Grace, and more loving aunts, uncles, cousins and friends than we have words to express.

Now we remaining must sing, dance, swim, surf, photograph, reflect, read, meditate, play piano, garden, bring home flowers, adopt a pet, drink good coffee, cook and eat together, be a great godparent and uncle/aunt, and read Tennessee Williams while acting out all the parts. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to: All Saints Church Pasadena, the United Farm Workers Union, or Amnesty International. 

—Submitted by the family.