E. Halsey Sandford

Sandford, E. Halsey,

of Louisville, KY, passed on August 29, 2015. He was 82.

Halsey was born in Louisville, KY, on March 21, 1933 to Foster Eugene Sandford and Ruth Koehler Sandford. He grew up in Louisville with his parents and grandparents and attended Louisville Male High School. After graduation, Halsey attended Yale University where he majored in English and developed a life-¬long love of poetry and the English language. While at Yale, Halsey joined the Navy ROTC and upon graduation enlisted in the United States Navy where he served as a Lieutenant (Jg) aboard a fleet tanker stationed in the Mediterranean. After the Navy, Halsey enrolled in the Harvard Business School earning his MBA. It was during his time at Harvard that Halsey met the love of his life, Barbara Richards Neal of Cleveland Ohio on a blind date. Two short years later they were married in 1959 and enjoyed 56 wonderful years together.

Halsey and Barbara moved to Louisville after business school where Halsey helped his father run the family business, WKYW, a local radio station . In 1965, he joined Hilliard Lyons of Louisville where he served as a senior vice president and corporate director. He created and headed Hilliard's corporate finance department, raising capital in public and private markets, negotiating mergers and acquisitions, and providing valuation services. In 1992, after 27 years at Hilliard's, Halsey accepted an offer to join Res-Care, Inc., a leading provider of services to persons with special needs. As Executive Vice President for Development and Acquisitions Halsey spearheaded Res-Care's acquisition program and successful initial public offering.

Halsey retired from Res-Care in 2001 and remained on the Res-Care board of directors until 2007. Passionate about improving the lives of others less fortunate than himself, Halsey gave his time, energy and business acumen to many causes, including Family and Children's Agency, The Kentucky Opera, as an Elder in the Presbyterian Church and Clerk of Session for both Calvin Presbyterian Church and Central Presbyterian Church. In addition he served on the many of Louisville's boards including the Presbyterian Community Center of Louisville, Actors Theatre and St. Francis High School.

A devoted family man, Halsey enjoyed shared passions of hiking, whitewater canoeing and paddling the streams of Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina with his family. Barbara and Halsey were avid gardeners, and with the kids off to college, they took up running, and each completed a marathon and several half marathons. Halsey would often mark special occasions by writing witty poems, limericks and songs.

He will be remembered for his love of life, smile, quick wit, his unwavering sense of justice, fairness and integrity.

Halsey is survived by his wife, Barbara; by his children, Janet Brown and her husband David Brown of Louisville, KY and Neal Sandford and his wife Brooke Sandford of Sudbury, MA; his four grandchildren, Matthew and Chelsea Brown and Jordan and Whitney Sandford and his cousins, Henry Koehler of Southampton, NY and Robert Koehler of Louisville, KY.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 3, 2015 at Central Presbyterian Church, 318 West Kentucky Street. Visitation hours will be from 4-7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 2, 2015 at Pearson's, 149 Breckenridge Lane. Burial is private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Family and Children's Place, 525 Zane Street, Louisville, KY, 40203 or to the Kentucky Opera Artistic Excellence Campaign, 323 W. Broadway, Suite 601, Louisville, KY, 40202.