Donald Eugene "Dee" Sands

Donald Eugene “Dee” Sands passed away peacefully in his home in Opelika, Alabama on Saturday, October 11, 2025 at the age of 73.

Dee was born in Helena, Arkansas on May 16, 1952 and grew up in the Robco Lake area of Memphis, Tennessee.  He often spoke of those free-wheeling childhood days with fondness, first of time spent ambling around the farm in rural Arkansas with his beloved uncles and cousins and later of making mischief in Memphis with his dear friend, Sidney Crow.

A graduate of Westwood High School and West Texas A&M University, Dee was a mechanical engineer and an early adopter of the lean manufacturing method. He was instrumental in the integration of the Japanese method into both the American and the European automotive manufacturing models during his career, spending large swaths of his life in Europe and Asia, a time he remembered fondly as a lifelong history buff.  His time in the automotive industry produced many treasured friendships that he maintained throughout his lifetime.

Later in life, Dee found great joy in sharing his passions with a new generation, guiding young talent in the sport of billiards and supporting young doctoral candidates with their research in engineering and physics in his spare time.  These years, too, produced too many wonderful and dedicated friends to mention by name, but Dee was unendingly grateful for the love and support they provided to him.

Dee was a loving husband and a proud father and grandfather, speaking often of his children and grandchildren with affection as his “greatest achievement”. 

Dee is survived by his wife, Victoria Marie Sands; his daughters, Delana Sands McFarlin (David) and Tara Sands Davis (Cameron) and their mother, Rebecca Siler Sands; his stepson, Jesse Dean Pryor; grandchildren, Connor Newman McFarlin, Ian David McFarlin, Claire Louise Davis, Madeleine Elise Davis, and Javan Haze Pryor.

Dee was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Dorothy Thompson; his stepfather, Henry S. Thompson; his father, Jim Sands; and his sister, Cathy Sands.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, October 18, 2025 at 10:00 am at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home.