Paul Sanford

Canton - Paul Marshall Sanford, of Canton, NC died April 11th, 2020 at his residence.

Born May 11th, 1927 in Clyde, N.C.  to Crawford and Bertha Thompson Sanford. He attended Clyde High School before dropping out to join the Army in 1945. Paul served the Headquarters, 3rd Army and the 7th Army in Germany from 1945 to 1947.  He returned to Clyde and graduated Clyde High School in 1949 and Blanton’s Business College in1950.  He was preceded in death by his great-grand daughter, Morgan Kathleen Green.

One of ten children, Paul grew up loving gospel music and was the bass of the Sanford Family Quartet.  He retired in 1982 as a Chief Warrant Officer 4 from the North Carolina National Guard 109th MP Battalion in Asheville.  Paul was a member of Woodland Baptist Church in Clyde and Calvary Baptist Church in Canton.  He loved trout fishing, college sports and NASCAR but not more than his family. He was the best Dad, Papaw and husband you have ever imagined.

Surviving his wife of 67years, Mary Kathleen Blankenship Sanford; his son William C Rodgers; three grandchildren, Andrea, Jeffery and Jonathan; two sisters, Peggy Gotlibowski and Brenda Roberts; and two great-grandsons, Charley Ray and William Taylor.

Many thanks to Haywood Hospice for their tender and professional care.

Considering the current public health situation, a private burial is planned, and a celebration of life will be held at a later date.

The care of Mr. Sanford been entrusted to Wells Funeral Homes and an online memorial register is available at “Obituaries” at www.wellsfuneralhome.com