John Sanders

John Sanders, a lifelong aviator and fiercely independent spirit, passed away on April 27, 2025, at age 80, in Warsaw, Indiana. 

John was born in Lynn, Indiana, on January 13, 1945, to Paul and Beulah (Clark) Sanders. After the death of his mother, he and his four siblings were cared for by their beloved grandmother, Myrtle Clark. At age nine, John went to live with foster parents Kenneth and Vera Sherbahn in South Whitley, Indiana. The Sherbahns remained steadfast supporters of John throughout his life.

After graduating from Whitko High School in 1963, John attended Ball State University before serving in South Korea with the U.S. Army. Following his service, he pursued his true passion: aviation. He earned his commercial, instructor, and instrument ratings, and ultimately landed in Warsaw, which became his home for the majority of his five-decade flying career. Much of that career was spent flying for legendary sportscaster Chris Schenkel and for the late Betty Morgan, of Warsaw, and her family. Additionally, John flew countless air charter customers as the chief pilot and, later, proprietor of Cheyenne Charter, Inc.

Flying wasn’t just John’s profession—it was a calling, and one he embraced with skill, pride, and deep appreciation.Over the course of his career, he accumulated more than 25,000 flight hours. In 2017, John became a proud recipient of the FAA’s prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, recognizing more than 50 years of safe flight operations.

John’s life was defined by more than just his time in the cockpit. He was intelligent and curious, with a knack for storytelling—especially when he got to be the hero. John was a voracious consumer of bluegill and corn on the cob, a lover of nature and birdwatching, and an unfiltered critic of big cities and traffic. He will be remembered for his quick wit, his abundance of opinions (shared with great enthusiasm), and his ability to organize almost anything with a well-crafted spreadsheet.

He is survived by his wife, Jill Caye; his children, Heather (Kim) Long of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Christopher (Marienne) Sanders of Westford, Massachusetts; his stepchildren Erica Neher (née Hudson) of Warsaw, Indiana, and Adam (Laura) Hudson of Bourbon, Indiana;  his grandchildren, Elizabeth and Anna Long; Thomas and Gabriela Sanders; Jacob, Tatum, and Dallas Hudson; and Hudson and Grayson Neher; and many others who shared the trip that was John’s life and were fortunate to call him family or a friend.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Beulah Sanders; his foster parents, Kenneth and Vera Sherbahn; and his dear siblings, Sara Campbell, Bonnie Murray, William Sanders, and Sue Sanders Hunt.

A celebration of John’s life will be held on Tuesday, May 27, from 1pm-5pm, at the Tippy Creek Winery in Leesburg, Indiana.