Phillip "Dean" Sanders

Dean was born June 9, 1938 in Mattoon, IL to Victor and Dorothy Louise (Wright) Sanders. He passed away peacefully February 15, 2019 in Barrington at Journey Care Hospice.

Dean was a 1956 graduate of Arcola (IL) High School and a 1960 graduate of Eastern IL University in Charleston, IL, where he was a education major with a emphasis in Biology and Zoology. His first teaching job after graduation was in Atwood, IL where he taught 7th and 8th grade Science from 1960-1962. In 1962, a teaching position opened up in Arcola, IL at the junior high and the desire to teach at his “alma mater” was too good to pass up. He taught Jr High Science from 1962-1965. In 1965, he became the HS basketball coach and became a HS Biology teacher for Arcola High School—a position he would hold from 1965-1968. It was also in 1965, that Sanders received his MS degree from Eastern Illinois University. During his time as a coach, his teams won 2 regional IHSA titles at a time when there were no athletic classifications for IHSA boys basketball.

In 1968 after reading a article in the Champaign News Gazette, he learned about the opening for the Varsity Boys Basketball Coach in Barrington, IL. He interviewed and was offered the job, along with that as a biology teacher at Barrington High School. Dean held this position for 2 years and coached the last basketball game in the original 1949 gymnasium at the present high school. In 1970, due to rapid growth in the Barrington area, there was a need for 2 more Asst Principals for Barrington High School. Dean was appointed to this position in the fall of 1970 and served in this role until 1976.

In 1976—Sanders was offered the position for a Deputy Superintendent for the Benton Harbor Area Schools, but a dream of owning his own business and working with his wife, Shirley, loomed ahead and in 1977, he and his wife  purchased South End Beverages, Inc, an Anheuser Busch-Stroh Brewing Company wholesaler of beer. The company acquired 2 other distributors in 1980 and 1993. By 2008 at the time the Sanders family retired from the beer business, the business sold over a million cases of beer and represented 200 brands of beer.

After retirement Dean and his wife Shirley moved back to Barrington in 2014 and maintained a home in Tellico Village, TN as well. They truly have enjoyed living in the Garlands and renewing old friendships and acquaintances from the days of living in Barrington.

Dean is survived by his wife of 60 years, Shirley; son, Terry Sanders of Glenview IL: brother, Duane (Shirley) Sanders of Colorado Springs, CO; sister, Joan Johnston of Decatur, IL; and his loyal canine companion, Fergie.

Memorial Services will be held at 11am Saturday, March 9 at the Presbyterian Church of Barrington,6 Brinker Road, Barrington.

There will be a second memorial service at 3:30pm Saturday, April 13 at Arcola Presbyterian Church, 305 E. Jefferson St. Arcola, IL, followed by a Celebration of Life from 5-7pm at Kaskasia Country Club, 450 E. Country Road 300N, Arcola, IL.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to: Mayo Clinic or to the donors choice.