Susan Ray Sanders

Susan Ray Sanders,73, of Beaufort, NC, slipped the bonds of cancer and sailed away from this life on January 2, 2025, with her sails trimmed and her course set. She knew where she was headed; she always did.

A memorial service to celebrate Susan’s life will be held on Saturday, January 11 at 10:00 am at Munden Funeral Home, 2112 Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC. 28557. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at Blackwell Cemetery, 808 Silverbrook Rd., Oriental, NC.

 Susan was born June 1, 1951, in Elizabeth City, NC, daughter of William and Henrietta Sanders, who predeceased her. She attended public school in Alexandria, Va and graduated from UNC-G with a major in math, later earning an MBA at Wake Forest University. While attending UNC-G, she worked part-time as a waitress at Sammy’s Restaurant, where she met local executive Len Anderson, who occasionally sat in with the band with his banjo. Thus began a bond that lasted 45 years, until Len’s death in 2015. After her degrees, Susan began a very successful career at Carolina Steel Corporation in Greensboro.

 In the 1980’s, Susan and Len moved to Oriental, NC, loving their time on the water aboard “Banjo”, a 44-foot sailboat, and their small trawler “Katie Hill”. From their home in Oriental, Susan began making and selling T-shirts, hats and other nautical and apparel items. This led to the first Harbor Specialties store in Oriental. Eventually, other Harbor Specialties stores were opened in Charleston, Pawley’s Island and Georgetown in South Carolina and Beaufort, NC, where Susan and Len lived until their deaths.

 Along with her successful retail businesses, Susan was a key contributor to the communities in which they lived. She served as Mayor pro tem of Oriental and re-energized the maritime museum in Georgetown. She also began the National Wooden Boat Building Challenge in both Georgetown and Beaufort. She served as head of the Beaufort Business Association and a valuable member of the site planning committee for the expanded Maritime Museum at Gallants Channel.

 As accomplished as she was in her business and civic life, and her long love for Len, Susan was first and foremost a devoted sister to Kay Sheehy of Greensboro, who survives her, and to those fortunate enough to call her a friend. Her warmth, enthusiasm, good humor and razor-sharp mind endeared her to so many. Susan loved being a Member of the Bodacious Belles Sweet Potato Queens, dancing in every parade with her red wig and bright red lipstick and costume…even within weeks of her passing. She leaves a real void in Beaufort and will be sorely missed. As she sails on to her next port, no doubt Len will be waiting on the dock to catch her lines. Sail on, dear friend.

 Memorial contributions may be made in lieu of flowers to Beaufort Business Association, C/O 513 Front Street, Beaufort, NC 28516.

 Family and friends are welcome to submit online condolences at www.mundenfuneralhome.net

 Arrangements by Munden Funeral Home and Crematory, Morehead City, NC.