Sandra Lanier Gunter was born March 11, 1952 in Anniston, Alabama to George L. and Mary T. Lanier. She accepted Christ at an early age and joined the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church under the pastorate of the late Rev. R. J. White. She remained a loyal and faithful member and was in regular attendance until being called from her earthly home to live with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She served in many capacities at Friendship starting immediately after baptism by serving on the Junior Usher Board. She later sang in choirs and was a Deaconess. She was united in the bonds of holy matrimony to Leroy H. Gunter and to this union two children were born.

Mrs. Gunter was a product of the Anniston City School System. Her educational journey started at the early age of three at Seventeenth Street Baptist Church Kindergarten when her sister, Georgia, started and she did not want to be separated from her. She attended Cooper Avenue Elementary School and Cobb Avenue High School where she graduated as the Historian of her class in 1970. Following high school, she attended Gadsden State Community College where she earned her Associate Degree in 1972. She then enrolled in Jacksonville State University where she became a charter member of Kappa Beta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Following her graduation from Jacksonville State University in 1974 with her B.S. Degree in Elementary Education, she immediately started her career at Randolph Park Elementary School as a classroom teacher. Her educational journey continued while teaching and she earned her Master's Degree in Elementary Education. She also received an Add-On in Administration in 1989.

While dedicating 38 years of her life to the betterment of "her children", Mrs. Gunter worked in the classroom for 21 years before being promoted to the position of Principal. She served as Principal at Johnston Elementary and Norwood Elementary Schools before returning to Randolph Park Elementary School where she remained until her retirement in the fall of 2012. During her first year as Principal at Randolph Park, her school was the only Anniston City School to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Mrs. Gunter was awarded Teacher of the Year in 1985 and was recognized by the Anniston City School System's Gifted Program as Administrator of the Year in 2009.  She was a 2013 recipient of the G.E. Smitherman Scholarship Distinguished Service Award. She helped educate many generations and served as an inspiration to the ones whose lives she touched.

On Thursday, June 13, 2013, Sandra Lanier Gunter heard and answered the voice of Jesus saying, "Come unto me…and I will give you rest." She was a beloved daughter, mother, wife, sister, grandmother, teacher, administrator and friend. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Mary Lanier; uncle George Moss; aunt, Carrie Alice Walters; and nephew, Dion Montez Glover. She leaves to cherish her memory her husband whom she loved, Leroy H. Gunter; her two children whom she adored, Roy (Chartiece) Gunter of Margaret, AL and LaRoyia (George) Smitherman of Jacksonville , AL; her three grandchildren who were "her world", Jordyn Marcell Gunter, Jacob Montez Gunter, and Sandie Lanier Smitherman; her sister whom she cherished, Georgia Kelley (Harvey) of Oxford, AL; her father-in-law and mother-in-law Roy and Catherine Gunter of Hampton, VA; her sisters-in-law, Joyce Birts of Hampton, VA and  Madina (Jeff) Martin of Jonesboro, GA; and a host of other relatives, friends, and former co-workers.