Daniel T. Sarton

Daniel T. Sarton Daniel Thomas Sarton, a wonderful son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and teacher went to be with our Lord and Savior on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2007. Dan was born April 9, 1931, in S. Charleston, Ohio, to Ollie Sarton and Oleta (Hildebrand) Sarton. He was the seventh of eight children. At the age of two, his family moved to La Junta, Colo., where he grew up and graduated from La Junta High School. The Christian faith was strong in his large family. Daniel's faith was not only lived out in his membership in the First Christian Church, where he was baptized, but mostly through his actions towards family, friends and strangers. He took great joy in recent years leading the seniors at Star Christian Church in several ministry productions. Dan enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1952 and was proud to serve in the Korean War. That Aug., he was stationed at Ashiya Air Force Base, Japan, with the 483rd Troop Carrier & Combat Cargo Wing. He returned to the United States in Aug. 1954, married his high school sweetheart, Gwendolyn Turpin, on Aug. 15, 1954, and completed his Air Force career at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. He was honorably discharged in 1956. Dan went on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees from Adams State College in Colorado, and spent the next 34 years as an extraordinary educator, beginning in Silverton, Colo., but with most of his career being spent teaching at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Wash. He taught English, speech, drama, communications, and television production. In fact, Dan was the first drama director in the Tri-Cities, Wash., to direct a full production of a Shakespearean play, and the first to establish a television production program at CBC. He was admired, respected and loved by his students and retired from CBC in 1993. Dan and the love of his life, Gwen, had three children: Deneil (Dee), Craig and Gayle. He was an incredible dad and loved to take his family camping and boating. Later in life he and Gwen enjoyed long road trips to see family and all the sights along the way. Daniel's favorite past-times were camping along the Oregon Coast, or boating on the Columbia River. Time with his family was most precious, and he enjoyed it even further when grandchildren came into the picture, beginning with Brianne, then Chase, Leslie, Robyn, Matea, and Kaelin, Adam and Daniel. After his retirement from CBC, Dan and Gwen moved to the Boise area to be near their children and grandchildren. And even though retired, Dan used his teaching and directing talents to produce plays in the Treasure Valley, and to coach stage performers and new TV reporters. Dan is survived by his loving wife, Gwen, his three children and their spouses, Terry Bower, Rob O'Donahue, and Sheri Sarton, eight grandchildren, his sisters Anna and Dottie, brothers Don and Walt, nieces and nephews, and other extended family all of whom loved him dearly. He was preceded in death by his mother and father; his sister, Alma; his brothers, Carl and Herb, their spouses, and other loved ones. Funeral services will be held in downtown Boise on Nov. 23 at 10:30 a.m. at the First Baptist Church, 607 N. 13th Street. Committal services with military honors will be held at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery at noon. Friends may call and the Sarton family will greet friends at the Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel, today, Wednesday (today) from 4 - 6 p.m. Services are under the direction of the Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts be made to either the Idaho State Veterans Home, Volunteer Services, 320 Collins Rd., Boise, Idaho, 83706, or to the Free Wheel Chair Mission, P.O. Box 513538, Los Angeles, Calif., 90051-3538.