John Powell Sanders (1954)

John Powell Sanders (1954) FRICS aged 91

John was born on 17^th April 1934 to Cliff and Renée in Newport Road, Cardiff. 

At Cardiff High School John honed his skills as scrum half for the 1^st XV and opening batsman for the 1^st XI. He Captained the Cardiff schools U16s Cricket team.

After school he spent two years with the Royal Engineers as part of his National Service based in Worcester and Camberley before becoming Movement Control Officer posted in Belfast. 

After his time in Belfast he read Land Management having been one of the ‘Diamond Mine’ of Cardiff High School pupils who came up to Queens during that era.  John often mentioned his years at Queens College were some of the happiest of his life.  He graduated with a respectable 2:1.

He captained the 1^st XV at Queens in rugby in his final year and continued his playing at London Welsh thereafter.  He was awarded an international cap for Nigeria (against Ghana) as he lived and worked there as Land Officer for the Nigerian Railway Corporation based firstly in Lagos and then Enugu.  In John’s memoirs he mentioned about one of his regrets, not gaining his Blue.  The temptation of the Anchor Inn opposite his digs quite probably the cause!

John became a Member, and later Fellow, of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors working at both Gerald Eve and Stephenson and Alexander in Cardiff before he set up his own real estate agency practice.John was a keen golfer, captaining Cardiff Golf Club in 1972 (the youngest ever captain still to this day) and Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in 1994.  In 1964 at Cardiff Golf Club, John and his brother Roger achieved the highly unlikely outcome of a pair of brothers having hole-in-ones during the same club competition.

John lived a full, varied and wonderful life, always known for his cheeky smile and a sparkle in his eye.  He is survived by his wife, son and two daughters, step-daughter, step-son and 9 grandchildren.