Rodney Sanner

Rodney Wayne Sanner, 64, of Centralia, passed away Thursday, September 29, 2022. 

Rodney was born August 17,1958, in Avon, Illinois to Milton Dale and Shirley Ann (Heinrich) Sanner.

He attended Centralia High School where he was part of the varsity boys basketball team, proudly known as the “Winningest Team in the Nation”. He continued his education at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, graduating in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in public relations.

Rodney was an avid sports fan who enjoyed watching football, golf, basketball, baseball, and hockey. He was always ready for a heated discussion about different sports teams and players. He was a die-hard Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Lightning fan, having been a Buccaneers devotee even through the "creamsicle" years, as well as a season ticket holder when he lived in the Tampa Bay area. 

Rod enjoyed history and took a special interest in 1950’s and 1960’s pop culture, especially Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, and the TV classic “The Andy Griffith Show”.

He was a trivia buff and often wowed his family and friends with his recall of sports statistics and details about historical events, TV shows and movies. 

Rodney is survived by his wife Tammy and his daughters Jessica and Brittany Sanner, all of Palm Coast, FL; his  mother, Shirley Brinkmeyer and husband Bud, of Centralia; his brother Alan Sanner and wife Pat, of Centralia; his sisters Debbie Jansen and husband Mike, of Germantown, and Rene’ Dooley and partner Vicky McCracken, of Springfield, MO; stepbrothers Cory Brinkmeyer of Ulman, MO; stepsisters Michelle Dalton of Haywood, IL, and Valerie Grubb of Centralia, IL; his niece Staci Street-Becker, husband Matt and their children Ryann and Ethan; his nephew Shane Street, wife Ashlee and their children Avery and Austyn; his nephews Doug Shook and Steve Shook; and his life-long best friend Larry Woodard. 

He was preceded in death by his father, Reverend Milton Dale Sanner; and his nephew David Shook.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, October 22, 2022, at the Calumet Street Christian Church, 2240 E Calumet Street, Centralia, with Pastor Anthony Sweeney officiating, and luncheon at the church to follow. Interment at Hillcrest Memorial Park in Centralia will be held privately. Memorials may be made in Rodney’s honor to St. Jude Children’s Hospital and will be accepted for the family at the Irvin Macz Funeral Home 234 S Elm St. Centralia, IL 62801.

Arrangements are with Irvin Macz Funeral Home in Centralia, IL. Online condolences and memories of Rod may be shared with the family by visiting www.maczfuneralhomes.com and/or on the funeral home’s Facebook page.

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