Delmas A. Sanford Obituary

Delmas A. Sanford
East Liverpool Review
Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Delmas A.Sanford 83
EAST LIVERPOOL – Delmas A. “Tut” Sanford, 83, an East Liverpool native and a lifelong resident of the Dixonville area of his hometown, passed away Sunday, May 15, 2011, at his home on Park Boulevard East.
Born June 10, 1927, in East Liverpool, he was a son of the late Louis and Eunice Sanford.
After graduation from East Liverpool High School in 1945, he immediately was drafted into the United States Army to fight for his country during World War II, where he served with the occupational forces in Japan. During his time in the service, he joined the Christian Military Group known as the GI Gospel Band which rebuilt churches and homes that had been bombed in the war.
Upon completion of his military service, he returned to East Liverpool and married his high school sweetheart, Doris Jean Goodman on Sept. 23, 1947, and they began building their own family.
Besides being survived at home by his wife “Dorie” he also leaves three daughters, JoDell Simons of Hummelstown, Pa., Renee Willoughby and her husband, David of Silver Spring, Md., and Jelayne Dray and her husband, Dan of East Liverpool.
He is also survived by one granddaughter, Heather Peters and her husband, Joey of Laurel, Md.; five grandsons, David “Branson” Willoughby of Silver Spring, Kevin “Christopher” Sanford of Kettering, Ohio, Daniel Andrew “Drew” Dray of East Liverpool, Tyler Simons of Hummelstown, and Brock Dray of East Liverpool; two great-granddaughters, Madison and Faith Peters of Laurel; and one daughter-in-law, Christie Sanford of East Liverpool.
He was also preceded in death by two sons, Jeffrey Craig Sanford and Kevin Alan Sanford; two sisters, Elaine Lovier and Marjorie Stover; and six brothers, Luke Sanford, Ralph Sanford, Vernon Sanford, Richard Sanford, Kenneth Sanford and Willard Sanford.
Delmas Sanford owned and operated the Sanford & Son Plumbing Company in East End for 53 years. For many of those years, his son Kevin, who passed away in 1998, worked as his partner in the business. An active membe4r of his hometown community, he was one of the founders of the East Liverpool Community Rescue Mission. He served as a president of the East Liverpool Area Chamber of Commerce and was a chairman of he East Liverpool Businessmen’s Association. A trustee of the East Liverpool City Hospital Board, he was also a director of the former First Federal Savings & Loan. For many years he was elected and served on the East Liverpool City School Board and he was a member of the Ohio School Board Association’s All-Regional Board. A former member of the Columbiana County Health Board, he also served on the Salvation Army Advisory Board. Along with his son Kevin, he co-chaired the telemarketing fund raising committee for the East Liverpool High School Alumni Association’s Clock Tower Rebuilding Fund.
A member of the First Church of the Nazarene in East Liverpool, he serves as a trustee, and also was s Sunday School Superintendent, teacher, held a local minister’s license, coached the local boys youth basketball team, and enjoyed playing on the church’s Men’s Softball Team. He served as a member of the Eastern Ohio District Church of the Nazarene Advisory Board and the Gideon Bible Society. For many years he had been an active participant of the annual Community Prayer Breakfast Committee. For all of his efforts, he was the 1964 recipient of the Jaycee’s Civic Service Award and in 1985 he received the organization’s Distinguished Service Award. In 1986, he was named a Morning Journal Citizen of the Year. In 2003, he was inducted into the Lou Holtz Ohio Valley Hall of Fame.
His Christian beliefs have led him to make 19 mission trips all over the world, where he has worked tirelessly in the construction of churches, schools, and medical stations. On each of those trips, his group distributed bibles and scripture in native languages with 250,000 having been distributed in Russia alone. In 2002, he and his wife, “Dorie”, and 18 other men traveled to the Amazon Region in the jungles of Peru to build a church in honor and memory of their son, Kevin.
Friends may visit the family from 2-8 p.m. on Wednesday at the First Church of the Nazarene in East Liverpool, Pastor Merrill Williams of the church will conduct a service to celebrate Mr. Sanford’s live at 11 a.m. on Thursday at the church.
Burial will be in Columbiana County Memorial Park.
The Dawson Funeral Home is in charge of all local arrangements.
Contributions may be made to either the First Church of the Nazarene; P. O. Box 635, East Liverpool, Ohio 43920 or th the Valley Hospice; 10686 State Route 150; Rayland, Ohio 43943.
View this obituary and send condolences on line at www.dawsonfuneralhome.com