(HILLSDALE) - A longtime Hillsdale County judge and community leader has died.
Donald Sanderson died Thursday at his home. He was 80.
Sanderson served as a Hillsdale County District Court judge for 36 years. He was appointed to the bench in 1978 and retired in 2014.
Before his judicial career, Sanderson served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and later practiced law in Hillsdale.
He remained active in the community throughout his life, serving on the boards of the Hillsdale County Community Foundation and the Kimball Camp YMCA. He also served as president of the Hillsdale County Bar and sang with the Hillsdale Arts Choral for more than five decades.
Sanderson is survived by his wife, Mary, two children, two grandchildren, and a sister and twin brother.
A memorial service will be held February 12 at Hillsdale First Presbyterian Church. More information is available here.