James Ray ("Jim") Sanders, 81, of Tulsa, passed on to be with his Lord on February 14, 2016, from complications of Parkinson's Disease.

A lifelong Tulsan, Jim was born May 22, 1934, to William Raymond Sanders and Dolah Allene (nee Ford) Sanders. A man of immense intellectual and physical gifts, Jim was beloved by family and friends alike for his gentle spirit, humility, sense of humor, and soft-spoken manner.

Jim was a 1952 graduate of Tulsa Central High School. He then served in the U.S. Army on active duty for three years, and received advanced training as a draftsman at Ft. Belvoir, eventually graduating #3 in his class. He continued to serve the country as an Army Reservist through 1964, while working at Douglas Aircraft Co. and pursuing his professional education at night, graduating from the University of Tulsa in 1962 with a B.S. in Engineering. During his eventual career as an aerospace engineer, he worked for McDonnell-Douglas, Rockwell International, and Boeing -- primarily in Tulsa, but also on extended assignments in Seattle, St. Louis, and Los Angeles. He played important roles in the development of the DC-10, the B-1 bomber, Apollo spacecraft, the Space Shuttle, and other significant projects. Most dramatically, perhaps, in 1982 he served as part of an emergency team that averted a disaster by successfully trouble-shooting a mid-mission malfunction in the Space Shuttle Columbia's payload bay doors.

Jim was also a gifted athlete, excelling at all sports and coaching many youth and adult teams. He enjoyed a brief career as a semi-pro basketball player in the 1950s, during which he had the privilege of matching up against Hall of Famer, Marques Haynes ("The World's Greatest Dribbler"), while barnstorming with the Harlem Magicians.

First and foremost, Jim was a man of God, seeking to follow Jesus every day of his life. He was raised in the Pentecostal faith, in a church established by his grandparents and others at 5th & Peoria in the 1910s, shortly after the birth of the Pentecostal Movement. That congregation, which was known over the years as Full Gospel Tabernacle and Central Assembly of God, was the focal point of Jim's life. He raised his own family there, and held the lay leadership positions of Elder and member of the Board of Deacons.

Jim was predeceased by his parents, as well as his brothers, Donald Sanders and Darrell Sanders. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Mary Lou (nee Garcia) Sanders; his children, Mark David Garcia Sanders and Brooke Ann Schwartz; daughter-in-law, Sarah Wishard Poston; son-in-law, Robert Schwartz; and grandchildren, Rachael Leigh ("Scout") Sanders, Davis McTurnan ("Mac") Sanders, Benjamin Robert ("Ben") Schwartz, and Nathaniel Poston "Nate") Sanders.

A family interment will occur at Floral Haven Cemetery. A Memorial Service celebrating Jim's life will be held on Monday, February 29, 2016, at 2:00 p.m., at Carbondale Assembly of God Church, 2135 W. 51st Street, Tulsa. In lieu of flowers, friends may contribute to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, www.michaeljfox.org . Moore's Southlawn 918-663-2233 share memories at www.moorefuneral.com