Gordon Riddle Sanford

Gordon Riddle Sanford

12/28/1919 3/31/2004

Gordon Riddle Sanford was born December 28, 1919 in Fort Collins, Colorado and died March 31, in Bakersfield, California. His cremains will be interred in the family plot in Grandview Cemetery, Fort Collins, Colorado.

During World War II, Gordon served as instructor at Gardner Field in Taft, California and as a P51 Mustang gunnery instructor at Sarasota, Florida. Gordon married Freda Inez Newman in 1945 and celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary in December 2003.

Gordon moved to Bakersfield, California following his retirement in 1975 from USDA Forest Service with 33 years of service at various points around the United States including National Headquarters in Washington D.C. where he specialized in outdoor recreation and worked on an early computer application (RIM) which was used to produce congressional reports. He also worked in the Regional Office in Portland, Oregon, as well as stations at the Diamond Lake, and Rigdon Ranger Districts where he served as District Ranger.

After his retirement in 1975, Gordon spent 33 pleasurable and productive years. He was an antique car buff as well as a cactiphile and was an active member of Bakersfield Model A Club, The Golden Empire Mustang Club, and the Bakersfield Cactus and Succulent Society where he was a charter member.

Gordon was preceded in death by his parents, Joe Gano Sanford and Jeanette Marion Riddle Sanford, and by sibling, Gerald Allen and Richard Gano. He is survived by his wife, Freda Sanford of Bakersfield, California; sister, Joan Jeanette Garrity of Tucson, Arizona; and children, Mary Anne Sanford of Portland, Oregon; son, James Gordon Sanford of Melbourne, Florida; and Julie Ann Newman of Bakersfield, California.