Retired judge honored for community service
HILLSDALE — Last week, Judge Donald L. Sanderson was honored by the Hillsdale Exchange Club at the annual Book of Golden Deeds banquet.
The banquet honors a local community member who stands out for his or her service.
“The Book of Golden Deeds banquet is an event to recognize a dedicated volunteer who gives endless hours of their time and talents toward making the Hillsdale community a better place to live,” said Ray Briner, secretary for the Exchange Club. “The response has been great because Judge Sanderson knows so many people.”
Sanderson served as Hillsdale County’s District Judge for 36 years, until his retirement at the end of 2014.
Briner said Sanderson was a nominee for the award this year and was voted for unanimously.
“The Hillsdale Exchange Club board takes nominees almost every year for the Book of Golden Deeds award,” Briner. “Although he is retired, he continues to actively volunteer for the Hillsdale community.”
Sanderson said he was shocked to receive the award.
“When it was announced this summer that I was to be the recipient of the Golden Deeds award this year, I was embarrassed,” Sanderson said. “I’ve never sought the limelight.”
Sanderson grew up in Kalamazoo and graduated from Loy Norrix High School in 1963. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in business, before attending the Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI.
He then went on to serve as an operations officer on the USS Dynamic, which was deployed for eight months to Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
In 1973, he married his wife, Mary. They have two children and two grandchildren.
He graduated from Wayne State University Law School in 1974. Michigan Gov. William Milliken appointed Sanderson to the district bench in February 1978.
“I was appointed to the bench about four years after graduating from law school,” Sanderson said. “The other two county judges were well established in the community and I had been in Hillsdale for only three and a half years.”
Over his law career, Sanderson served as president of the county bar association, was a board member of the regional legal aid provider and a legislative committee member of the Michigan District Judge’s Association, and also has taught law classes at Hillsdale College, Jackson Community College, and Hillsdale Adult Education.
Despite this, Sanderson said he has tried to maintain a low profile.
“With very few exceptions, I was the ‘quiet’ judge keeping the lid on disputes before anyone went off the deep end,” he said. “To put it another way, I’ve been in a half dozen or so shows at the Sauk Theater, almost always in the chorus and not as one of the leads. I would be in a group collectively taking a bow, not the one being individually applauded. So, when I was told I’d be receiving this award, I felt a little uncomfortable.”
Briner said that Sanderson stands out because of this great involvement across the community.
“He is active in many different choir and art groups and volunteers at many events in the community,” Briner said. “He joined the Hillsdale Exchange Club in 1974!”
Sanderson has also been a member of the Hillsdale Arts Chorale since 1974. He is a member of the Hillsdale First Presbyterian Church, where he has had many different leadership positions. Sanderson has been involved with numerous community organizations. He has also served on the board of the Hillsdale County Community Foundation, was a founding director and president of the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club Alumni Network, is a past president and current treasurer of the U of M Alumni Club of Hillsdale County. He was also on the board of the Kimball YMCA and the Hillsdale Youth Baseball program.
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Sanderson said he was surprised by the community turnout at the banquet.
“As it turned out, I was surprised by the number of friends and acquaintances who shared the evening with me and my family,” Sanderson said. “Former state rep and judge, Mike Nye, was a great master of ceremonies, and the three longtime friends who shared their comments brought back many memories.”
— Elyse Apel is a correspondent for The Hillsdale Daily News. She can be reached by email at ehawkins@hillsdale.edu.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Retired judge honored for community service
