Warren Thomas Sanger

Warren Thomas Sanger, age 34 of Zeeland passed away Wednesday, October 23, 2019. A graveside service will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, October 28, 2019 at Ridgeview Memorial Gardens, 5151 8th Ave., Grandville, MI 49418. www.yntemafh.com Eulogy written by Warren's sister: We are gathered here today in the memory of my brother Warren Thomas Sanger. So that together we may acknowledge and share both our joy in the gift that was his life and the pain that his passing brings. In sharing the joy and the anguish together today may we lessen the pain and remember more clearly the happiness that was His presence, his laughter, and his whole wonderful being. Warren was just 34 years old when he passed away on on Wednesday October 23rd 2019. He was born on march 26th 1985 here in Holland Michigan to his mother Jonnie Michelle Campbell and his father Stephen Scott Sanger. Warren spent his childhood in Michigan playing outside on the farm, raising his animals, and beating everyone in the neighborhood at every game or sport he ever pursued. As warren entered his teen years he began to have a passion for fast cars and mechanics, which he carried on with him into his adult years. When warren was 17 he moved to Florida to be with his mom and his sisters. While in florida warren attended college majoring in business and joined the Volkswagen car club of Tallahassee. He would attend car meets, fix up antique vehicles and do lots of mechanical work on Volkswagens and other foreign cars. He built lasting relationships with other vintage car enthusiasts and it was one of his favorite hobbies. After college warren became an all star salesman at various jobs over the years. He took after his maternal grandfather and always had an unbelievable knack for talking to strangers and a true talent for positively influencing people and charming them which helped him to have some of the highest sales records in multiple stores he worked in. He made a wonderful living being a salesman's and continued that career here in Zeeland Michigan. To those of you here and elsewhere you are already aware of the type of person he was and these words you will hear today will already be familiar in your memory. Warren was often described as having a gentle soul and was sensitive to the emotions of those around him, especially his loved ones and close friends. He had a certain way with people that made them feel comfortable around him. He had a truly infectious laugh and a personality that caused everyone to naturally gravitate towards him. He was one of the funniest, quick witted individuals you could ever meet. No matter how mad or sad anyone felt warren was able to flash a quick smile show off his adorable deep dimples and make you crack a smile no matter how hard you tried to resist. He was always telling jokes or simply acting so silly that you couldn't help but forgive him and be happy all of the sudden. In fact, this trait made it almost impossible to ever stay mad at him for long. He was quick to forgive and always expected the same in return. All of us were able to laugh with him through so much pain and many close calls and forgive him over and over for any mistakes he ever made because we love him so but also because of his humor and charming wit. Warren was at his best when he was sober and had so many moments in time when clarity would over take him and his true personality and good moral character were able to shine through. He was the most protective, smart, funny, and loving big brother, uncle, cousin, boyfriend, cousin, nephew and friend anyone could ever pray to know. Although warren had dark moments when drugs and addiction over took him those of us knew that those episodes did not truly reflect who he was as a person. He never allowed the dark times to overcome him for long and always strived to fight away the demons and return to the loving person he naturally was. We as his family knew that the drugs had a grip on warrens physical being and over his body but never had a grip on his heart and soul. He wanted to be sober and be a functioning member of society and of our family. He never gave up the fight for sobriety and for this we will always be proud. This past year and a half that warren spent in Michigan was the happiest he as been in many many years. He was back to being in a good spot mentally and emotionally. He had a great job, a new fast car he nicknamed Quattro, a great home, a steady income, and a new best friend named Marianne that he often referred to as the love of his life. He had plans to marry her and start a family soon. We all know he would have been an amazing father and were praying a child would encourage him to be the best he could be from here on out. We were all so proud of this new change in him and excited to hear him talk about his new life plans and how great the more to Michigan was for him and his future. Warren loved his dad Stephen Sanger so much and had always wanted to live back by him again and had plans to one day live on his family farm and help his father farm the land and spend time with his two younger brothers. As our father got older warren would often speak of wanting to spend time with as he aged and take steps to rebuild their relationship and make up for lost time and past mistakes that they had both made over their lifetime. Coming to Michigan was warrens first step and attempt to rekindle that unspeakable deep bond that only a father and son can understand. It was a new handle for him to renew himself and his spirit back in his hometown and in his favorite place, the family farm where we know he felt a strong sense of peace. Warren had a tree planted on the property years ago and this tree has since grown tall and has deep roots that will always tie him to the land and be a wonderful marker of his permanent presence on the 70 acre plot of land. Warren loved his mother more than words can describe and always had a tender relationship with her and his sisters. He tried to spend his life easing her pain and ensuring that she was a top priority. Him and her had made many promises to one another about retirement and taking care of each other. He wanted to work hard and be able to support his mother as she aged so that she would have no worries and could enjoy the remainder of her life with her family and grandchildren. Even though he is no longer here physically she knows that he will cradle his mother and sisters in his arms for an eternity. One of my mothers earliest memories of warren was when she first saw his deep dimples the day he was born and she knew he would be blessed with a life full of laughter since God gave him such a beautiful smile to match his deep blue eyes. She will mourn today but eventually the pain will fade away and tears of sadness will become tears of joy as each day will bring her closer to reuniting with her son in heaven above. The past few months of Warrens life he began to develop a new and intense relationship with the lord. He turned back to God and was struggling to recover his true self as a sober and faithfully devout Christian man. When warren was 9 years old he had an intense fear of death when he realized that one day he would physically perish as well, Ever since that day warren has attempted to hang on to his Christian faith as a constant reminder that death is simply a transition and not a final ending to a spiritual life. Warren would often read his bible and share his findings with our family especially quotes that gave him particular comfort. He wanted a natural burial because he loved the earth, the animals, and people and wanted to have as little of a negative impact on the planet as possible. He cherished nature and this outdoor ceremony today will reflect that part of him forever. Our mother knew in her heart that God took Warren from us earlier than we ever could have imagined because God always has a different plan than what we as people propose. She prayed and felt as though God told her that he took warren when he was at his happiest to spare him from a life of pain or other potentially hazardous life paths. Although warren will have many avenues left unexplored and many pieces of his young life cut short we know that his story here today does not end. He will be alive forever in our hearts and in our memories. We will always mention him, laugh with him, cry for him, and cherish the moments spent close with him. We know that all decisions he made, and paths he chose ultimately led him back to his family and to the Lord. As with any unexpected death, there may always be stories unfinished, relationships left incomplete, jokes left unsaid, and embraces never felt, but Warren had reason to be proud of himself and we will pray that he always knows how much we loved him and how special he was to us, both in good times and bad, both in periods of addiction and sobriety. He had a tendency to undervalue himself and to those of us that knew him best we always wished we could take his pain and insecurities away. We may never know what tortures warren felt internally that drove him to abuse drugs but we do know that despite the bad feelings he may have kept buried deep we always tried to see the best in him and support him through every obstacle he faced and tried our best to show him love even when it was difficult. Who ever knew that a heart could break like this? Shattered to a million pieces too small to ever truly mend together again. I always believed that hearts were made to be broken over and over again until one day they finally stay open. Open to receive Gods love, open to forgiveness, and open to the possibility that maybe just maybe, life continues even after death and that pain can be always be replaced with hope and that tears of sadness will eventually become tears of joy when families are rejoined for an eternity.

Tributes

Warren Thomas Sanger

March 26, 1985 - October 23, 2019