Janet Sanders

Janet (Sullivan) Sanders, the fifth child of the late Clyde Sullivan and Burgess Marie (Ford) Sullivan, entered this life on February 17, 1942, and was welcomed into the arms of Jesus on July 4, 2026, at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ. She was also born in this very same facility. Janet attended New Brunswick Public Schools and graduated from New Brunswick High School in 1961. Her favorite subject was English, at which she excelled, and she loved every aspect of writing. While in high school, she participated in the drill team and sang soprano in the school chorus. After her academic day ended, she worked at E. J. Korvette’s, a department store in North Brunswick, NJ. The very shy and quiet Janet caught the eye of one Nathan Sanders, who often asked her out, but much to his dismay, her father did not allow her to “solo date”. Because Nathan was an extremely persistent young man, her mother eventually allowed her to “sneak out of the house,” but only with other friends, so the two could go to carnivals or local dances and gaze into each other's eyes in public! Janet and Nathan were married shortly after she graduated from high school on September 1, 1961. She celebrated 64 years of marriage with her husband in 2025. They enjoyed witnessing the births of their four little blessings named Donna, Denee, Derrick, and Dwayne. She was a founding member of the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Somerset, NJ, where she sang in the choir and taught Sunday School to the little ones. Eventually, she joined the Concord Missionary Baptist Church in Perth Amboy, NJ, under the pastorate of the Rev. Fred Sharp, and she became an active member of the Women’s Missionary Society. After receiving a scholarship, Janet continued her education at Trenton State College, where she maintained a 4.0 GPA and earned her Child Development Associate (CDA) certification. This allowed her to work for over 10 years in the early childhood program at the Somerset Community Action Program (SCAP) in Somerset, NJ. Her acumen as an early childhood instructor was heralded in both the Daily Home News and the Franklin Township News Record. Janet enjoyed reading, especially with the Family Reading Circle, and she was an avid crossword puzzle player. However, her greatest pleasure came from being with her family. Whether teasing and tantalizing her husband’s taste buds on Thanksgiving with a pot of savory chitterlings, or preparing scrumptious collard greens, delicious mac and cheese, and yummy candied yams for her children and grandchildren, as well as just showing off her treasured “Grandma’s Brag Book”. Janet was preceded in death by her daughter, Denee, and her son, Derrick, as well as her parents and siblings, the late Rose Auls, Cleo Baskin, Janie Hopkins, Willamae Chesson, Clyde Sullivan, Jr., and Brenda Sullivan. She leaves to cherish her memory her devoted husband, Nathan Sanders of Somerset, NJ; her daughter, Donna Sanders of North Brunswick, NJ; her son, Dwayne Sanders of Somerset, NJ; two granddaughters, Janae Morton of North Brunswick, NJ and Jamarra Sanders-Morton of Somerset, NJ; three great-granddaughters Kamori Butler, Keyanni Butler, and Kiyeri Roberts all of North Brunswick, NJ, her loving sister in law Mae Sanders of Fayetteville, GA, and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends. In lieu of flowers, donations can be mailed to Nathan Sanders, 4 Reler Lane. Apt 4C., Somerset, NJ 08873

Janet Sanders

February 17, 1942 - July 4, 2026