John Francis Sanford Sr.

2023. Born on April 24, 1942 in Pawtucket, RI; he was the son of Thomas and Grace Sanford

and brother to five siblings; Thomas Jr., Bob, Ray, Billy, and Kathy. In 1963 he met the love of

his life, Gloria, and they married in 1964. Through 59 years of marriage, they lived and loved

and raised three children; Christine, John Jr., and Mark. They enjoyed watching their family

grow two more generations, with five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. On any given

night, he could be found at home watching old westerns. He enjoyed listening to good music

and could name any band from years past while making up his own song lyrics to any tune to

keep you laughing. He was an avid sports fan, even if he was never sure which team he was

rooting for at the moment. He was sure to be the most devoted fan to whoever was winning or,

in the case of baseball, whatever team Roger Clemens was playing for. His stories of traveling

to his favorite places, Jackson Hole and New Hampshire, will certainly be remembered and will

be a tradition carried on. His life was full of personal and professional accomplishments, but

nothing was more important than his family. With video camera in hand, he created family

movies that will be treasured for years to come. Not only did he stand behind the camera, he

was the man who created moments of holiday magic that have allowed his grandchildren to

never forget what true spirit and love looks like. To say that he will be missed is an

understatement. This world will not be the same without his love, crazy sense of humor, endless

one-liners, and stories on repeat. His faith assured him that he will be in God's memory and that

one day he will be with his wife and family again.

Services will be held at the Colchester Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses on Saturday,

November 25, 2023 at 2:00pm. Following the talk, the family will host a reception at the Bozrah

Volunteer Fire Company Hall.

Colchester Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses

297 Westchester Road

Colchester CT 06415

For those unable to attend in person:

Join the memorial talk by Zoom:

meeting ID 829 3010 1975

passcode 632299

Bozrah Volunteer Fire Company

239 Fitchville Road

Bozrah CT 063