Sandra Canaday Powers' Obituary
Sandra May Canaday (Sandy) Powers was born on September 10, 1946, in Danville, Illinois, to R. Chris Canaday, an aerosol industry executive and WW II hero, and May Alma Leonard, a homemaker. She grew up in Danville along with her younger sister, Su, graduating from Danville High School. She studied drama at the University of Iowa, then graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. After graduation, she moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she taught piano at Hale Piano and Organ. There, in a chance encounter, she met her future husband, Dick, as she delivered the free piano lessons that came with the piano he had purchased. They were married on August 1, 1973.
Sandy’s goal in life was always marriage and family, which was realized with the birth of twins, Susannah and Chris, followed by Tom and Caroline. She met Jesus in 1978 in a ladies’ Bible study and quietly witnessed to Dick for seven years before he came to know the Lord. The failure of Dick’s employer, Eastern Air Lines, in 1991, led them on a journey taking them to Lawrence, Kansas, Winter Park, Florida, and finally Germantown, Tennessee. Sandy was the glue that held the family together through this turbulent time.
Settling into the Memphis area, she made many new friends, especially in the Christian community through Bellevue Baptist Church and Evangelical Christian School, where Tom and Caroline enrolled. She was happy that Chris was at the University of Memphis and Susannah was not far away at Samford University—everyone within close reach. She used her musical talent to learn to play and later teach the harp, performing in the orchestras at Bellevue, Faith Baptist, and Germantown Baptist. She also performed at weddings and other events, and her piano and harp students often performed their recitals at local nursing homes. As a Gideon Auxiliary member, she regularly presented Bibles and shared Jesus with women in the Shelby County prison. In all that she did, she ministered to those in need and those who needed to hear the Gospel.
Sandy instituted a Powers family tradition—First Sunday—where she and Dick hosted family members who could come for lunch after church on the first Sunday of each month. She went home to be with the Lord on the First Sunday, January 4, 2026, with everyone in attendance.
She is survived by husband Dick, daughters Susannah (Brad) and Caroline (Robby), sons Chris (Ashley) and Tom (Lauren) and eight grandchildren, Grady (15), Corrinna (14), Everett (13), Sloan (12), Harrison (11), Hayes (10), Elizabeth (4), and Ben (2), sister Su Gabrielsen (Gabe) of Denver, Colorado, and nieces Mimi Macklin (Rusty) of Denver and Sarah Eddy (Eric) of Phoenix, Arizona.
What’s your fondest memory of Sandra?
What’s a lesson you learned from Sandra?
Share a story where Sandra's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Sandra you’ll never forget.
How did Sandra make you smile?