Richard D. Sailors Sr.'s Obituary
Richard D. Sailors, Sr., age 77, of Powder Springs passed away Monday, June 1, 2015.He was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. The 5th child of William Claborn and Winnie Shirah Sailors.He remained life long friends with several classmates from Ed S. Cook Elementary School and was a proud member of the Hoke Smith High School class of 1955. He was voted Mr. Personality in his senior class and remained true that title his entire life. He attended every class reunion to emcee including the 60th one a short 2 weeks ago. His Grant Park ties were strong and he loved taking his family on many "trips down memory lane" around the neighborhood where he grew up. He spotted Dale, his bride,on a basketball court at age 16, tricked her into accepting a date by having his nephew call her pretending to be him and they began their life together a short 2 years later. They have remained sweethearts for 60+ years and he has repeated too many times to count over the past couple of years, "She is the only girl I ever loved!" They were blessed with 5 children (his words) and he often remarked that "my family is my proudest possession." He was the consummate family man. Everyone that had the pleasure of spending time with him quickly learned about his crazy family and how much they meant to him. HE LOVED HIS FAMILY. He loved his Savior, Jesus Christ. His faith was strong and he knew where he was going to spend eternity. He loved First Baptist Church, the staff and the members. He loved the choir and often talked about how the music blessed him. He prayed for an attitude of gratitude and that he would be a pleasant patient and God was faithful in answering that prayer as every single caregiver commented about what a sweet man he was. HE WAS THANKLFUL. He coached many youth baseball and softball teams. The players knew he expected their all and wanted to help them achieve to the best of their abilities. He even benched some of his own kids at times (much to Dale's dismay) when he felt like they weren't committed or it was their turn to sit out. HE WAS FAIR. He retired from Colonial Pipe Line and then owned and operated Mableton Marble and Granite and Mableton Mattress Liquidators. Richard served as Mayor of Powder Springs from 1987 to 2000. He was passionate about the city he loved. He had strong opinions and would quickly let you know what they were. He could disagree with you about an issue and yet still be your friend. He helped those in need and was often seen "loaning" money to people off the street at his 2 little businesses in Mableton. HE WAS A GIVER. He was an Atlanta Braves fan. He watched a lot of games. You could usually find him out on his beloved screen porch with the TV turned up too loudly watching ANY game. HE LOVED BASEBALL. If you knew Richard D. Sailors, you loved HIM. He leaves behind an amazing legacy...AND THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Powder Springs since 1971. He had a servant's heart;loved people and enjoyed life to the fullest. Richard is survived by his wife of 59 years, Dale Sailors; Children, Jill Walraven, Jan and Steve Sewell, Richard,Jr. and Amy Sailors,Russ and Kim Sailors and Randy Sailors; 17 grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren and nieces and nephews. Funeral Services will be held Friday 2:00 pm at First Baptist Church of Powder Springs. Rev. Mike Woods officiating. Interment will follow at Powder Springs City Cemetery. The family will receive friends Wednesday and Thursday from 4-8 pm at Davis-Struempf Funeral Home, Austell. In leau of flowers the family requested memorials be made to First Baptist Church of Powder Springs (or) American Cancer Society https://donate.cancer.org/index
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