Lester Paul Sands

Dr. L. Paul Sands, career educator and community leader, died July 4th, 2013 in his hometown of Mt. Pleasant, TN. He was born April 9th, 1929 in Montgomery, AL, and raised by parents, L. A. and Mabel Sands in Mt. Pleasant, TN, where he graduated from Hay Long high school in 1947. He married his high school sweetheart, Jean Chappell on June 11, 1948, and moved to Murfreesboro to attend MTSU, where, as a working father of four, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and math in 1959. He began his teaching career in 1959, teaching math and science at St. Andrew’s School in Sewanee, while also serving as the school’s basketball and tennis coach. He continued to attend MTSU, completing a Masters of Arts degree in science education in 1961 and then moved to Georgia, to teach for the University of Georgia from 1964 – 1966, where he earned his PhD. In 1966 he moved his family back to Mt. Pleasant to assume a role as the first athletic director and math faculty for the opening of Columbia State Community College, Tennessee’s first community college. In 1970 he assumed the role of Dean of Instruction for the college, and in 1984 was appointed President, a position he held until his retirement in 1996. While at Columbia State he raised 3.5 million dollars for student scholarships, initiated distance education sites, expanded the school by establishing campuses in Williamson, Lawrence, Wayne, Lewis, Hickman, and Marshall counties, and provided leadership for the creation of the first Community College Hall of Fame in the nation. A multi-sport athlete, he was an avid supporter of college athletics, the founding president of the Tennessee Junior College Athletic Association (TJCAA) and conference competitions, and was the first inductee into the TJCAA Hall of Fame in 1987.
His community service began early in life as a Boy Scout, and he was one of the first to earn the rank of Eagle Scout in Maury County. He remained active in Scouting for many years, serving as a Scout and adult leader and his service was recognized with the Silver Beaver, Long Rifle, American Scout Key and Scoutmaster Key awards. He served on numerous community boards, including chambers of commerce, athletic boosters, united givers fund, hospital advisory boards, and economic development commissions. He was an active Rotarian for 43 years in the Mt. Pleasant and Columbia clubs, serving as club president and chairman for all four avenues of service, chairing both the ambassador and Will R. Manier scholarship committees. A Paul Harris Fellow, he led a Group Study Exchange Team visit to Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. While in Africa, he received a service award from the mayor of Mombasa and was made honorary chief of the Chikiti tribe. He served as Rotary District Governor in 2000, and in 2001 represented the district at Rotary International in Argentina. He provided service to the South Central Tourism Board for over 20 years, chairing the Board seven times. He served as President and Chairman of the Board of the Mt. Pleasant Community Foundation for eight years, establishing the Mt. Pleasant Community Center and awarding approximately 100 scholarships to the graduates of Mt. Pleasant High School. In 2004 he received the Mt. Pleasant Benefit Ball Marise Lightfoot Award. He served the Tennessee Grocers Education Foundation for 15 years and was inducted into the Hall of Eagles, and in 2012 a state highway bridge was named in his honor.
He was a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Mt. Pleasant, taught Sunday School for a number of years, and served on the Maury Baptist Association Executive Committee. He loved his family and community, and dedicated his life to serving others, creating, and funding educational opportunity for all who desired to learn.
In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by brothers John Thomas, James, Robert, and Douglas Sands, and a great-granddaughter, Abby Lambert. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Jean, and four children, Doug (Sheila) Sands of Elizabethtown, PA, Paula Henderson of Ripley, TN, Lester P. Sands, Jr. (Leslie) of Jackson, TN, and Tim (Connie) Sands of Coopertown, TN; nine grandchildren, Jeremy (Amy) Sands of Elizabethtown, PA, Jaime (Christopher) Heim of Elizabethtown, PA, Jan (Greg) Lambert of Covington, TN, Jessica Mohon of Macomb, IL, Emily (Cory) Carlton of Nashville, TN, Jordana and Paul Sands, III of Jackson, TN, and Max and Jack Head of Coopertown, TN; four great-grandchildren Quinton and Morgan Sands of Elizabethtown, PA, and Cameron and Austin Lambert of Covington, TN; and four siblings L. A. (Marilyn) Sands of Hilton Head, SC, Annette Lemberg of Arlington, VA, Don Sands, and Jerry (Melinda) Sands of Mt. Pleasant, TN; and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank friends who share our grief and have generously reached out through stories, helping hands, and loving words. All of these have comforted us more than you can imagine. Visitation with family will be Sunday, July 7th, from 5:00 – 8:00 pm at Williams Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant, with graveside services at Arlington Cemetery, at 10:00 am on Monday July 8th . Pallbearers include Jeremy Sands, Paul Sands III, Greg Lambert, Cory Carlton, Max Head and Jack Head. Honorary pallbearers include Elbert Powell, Jimmy Couch, A. C. Howell, Dr. Harold Pryor, Gene Durham, Bobby Farmer, Louis Connor, Bill McEwen, David Edwards, Bob Murray, Bob Hull, Dean Dickey, Harold (Moe) Grimes, Kenny Norman, Robert Boshers, and Rick Tackett.