Hart Sanders (Harlow Stewart Sanders III) age 32, Branson, Missouri

Hart Sanders (Harlow Stewart Sanders III) died on Sunday, October 16, 2022 at 32 years of age. He died while camping and fly fishing with some of his best friends at Kaner Flat Campground in central Washington.  Hart was born on March 15, 1990 in Stony Brook, New York, but was raised in Branson, Missouri, from 1992 through 2008. Academically gifted, he graduated near the top of his class and attended the University of Kansas to study architecture. He was an avid Jayhawk fan and loved his time at KU. There, he fueled a passion for cycling and raced for KU’s cycling team.

After graduating with a Master of Architecture degree in 2014, he worked for Substance Architecture in Des Moines, Iowa, where he was instrumental in the reconstruction of Des Moines’s downtown bridges. In 2016, Hart moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to work for Will Bruder Architects and fell in love with the American Southwest. In 2018 he moved to Seattle, Washington, where he worked for Olson Kundig Architects until his death.

Most importantly, Hart's life was filled with love, creativity, and adventure. He had incredible friendships and a supportive family, all of whom loved him. His career was more fulfilling than most; indeed, he often described his work at Olson Kundig as his dream job.

While Hart was devoted to his work, however, he was also a musician, cyclist, hiker, sailor, and scuba diver. He was often described as “cooler than cool,” “the smartest guy in the room,” “a guy with nothing to prove,” having “the most beautiful, lustrous hair” and “piercing blue eyes,” “happy,” “kind,” and more.

Hart is survived by his loving parents, Sandy and Patti Sanders; his sister, Larkin; and his maternal grandmother, Shirley Bueker. Hart was predeceased by his maternal grandfather Joe Bueker and his paternal grandparents Stewart and Cile Sanders.

A memorial service will be held at 5:30 in the evening on Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at Fellowship at Cross Creek, 505 Cedar Park Rd, Branson, MO 65616.  Services are under the direction of Snapp-Bearden Funeral Home and Crematory, Branson, Missouri.

Memorial donations can be made to the Hart Sanders Memorial Scholarship Fund through Central Bank of Branson, PO Box 130, Branson, Missouri, 65615. The scholarship will be awarded annually to a deserving student in the School of Architecture at the University of Kansas.

“Like, can’t we just be plants and be besotted with the sun?”

Snapp-Bearden Funeral Home and Crematory

1638 East State Highway 76

Branson, Missouri 65616

Telephone – 417-334-3670

Fax – 417-336-3670