William "Bill" Scott Sanderson
William "Bill" Scott Sanderson passed away with peace on May 23, 2025, at the age of 64. Bill was born in Westfield, Massachusetts, to the late William and Helen Sanderson. His memory will be cherished by his wife of 38 years, Amy Sanderson, daughter Claire (Matt) Brukasz, son Will (Rebecca) Sanderson, sister Linda (Victor) Vela, and brother Tim (Patty) Sanderson. He was beloved "Papa" to three young grandchildren Sylvia, Benjamin, and Abigail. Bill grew up in the arms of his family in Westfield, MA, hunting and fishing with his father and brother, teasing his sister, and learning the value of hard work in his youth. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1982 with a degree in chemical engineering. Having put "geographical preference: none" on his job applications, he landed in southwest Virginia with Celanese Corporation, with which he spent his 40 year career. He built expertise, from project engineer to ultimately finding his niche in research and development, collecting many patents along the way. A gifted engineer, Bill could bird-dog and solve a problem...whether in his industry or some mechanical conundrum at home! He could fix anything, he was never one to leave a project unfinished, and his workshop was always thoughtfully organized. His work took him to far corners of the world...Ocotlan, Mexico, Edmonton, Canada, China, and to Lanaken, Belgium, where the family lived for two adventurous and fulfilling years. He maintained close friendships with colleagues both at home and abroad. Bill enjoyed the meticulous aspects of target shooting and reloading, as a longtime member of Shawnee Shooting Sports Club. His inner chemist drew him to beer brewing; there was an impressive list of favorite recipes. Then there was that time when he took up Chinese cooking...Hiking the multitude of lovely trails in Virginia and beyond was his happy place. His trail name "Backside Billy" referenced the fact that he was always striding ahead, thus was our view of him. Bill and the love of his life, Amy, met in Blacksburg and raised their children Claire and Wills in Gastonia, NC, Lanaken, and Blacksburg. Bill's greatest joy was in his family; they were the center of his life. He instilled in his children optimism and self-reliance, and a spirit of adventure. Bill and Amy were each other's best friend. They endeavored to see all the National Parks in their lifetime, and many were checked off. Yet it was never about the goal, but the journey. And what a marvelous journey it was. A visitation will be held on Friday June 6 from 5pm to 7pm at McCoy Funeral Home, 150 Country Club Dr. SW, Blacksburg, VA Memorial service will be held on Saturday June 7 at 11am, at Blacksburg Presbyterian Church, 701 Church St. SE, Blacksburg, VA. Interment will follow at a later date in Westfield, MA. In lieu of flowers, please direct any charitable gifts in honor of Bill to the LUNGevity Foundation, https://fundraise.lungevity.org/campaigns/Bill
