A Tribute to the Late “Bill” Sanford of Weiss & Biheller by his son Peter Sanford
Crystal lighting veteran George MacGregor “Bill” Sanford died peacefully at the home of his daughter, Amanda Sanford Smith on November 17 at age 93. He woke that morning, ate breakfast, had a shower, got dressed, sat in his chair, and pipped off – not bad.
A graduate of the Phillips Exeter Academy and Yale University, Bill enlisted in the United States Army after the attack on Pearl Harbor and served honorably as a First Lieutenant. While a good driver, he knew nothing about how cars worked so he was attached to a motor pool.
He was predeceased by his wife, Eileen Burns Sanford, by three years. Theirs was a loving marriage of 65 years and together they raised 6 children. Most turned out fine.
Bill had an active business career, owning and operating the Weiss & Biheller Merchandise Corp., purveyors of fine lighting fixtures. His business, in the pre computer era, took an enormous amount of time and effort yet he still had time to pursue his other interests.
He was an avid reader, an accomplished dessert chef, and an amateur gardener. His accomplishments in sweets started with adding oranges to various flavored JELL-O® but bloomed into a wide variety of delicious and complicated efforts.
When asked about his long life and hopes for his future, he would gladly have another mousse au chocolat and anticipate the Democrats complete take-over of every level of government.
Bill was a poet and writer of letters. His self-published book, MY TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS,
remains an enigma to those who have read it.
He delighted in the accomplishments of his children and grandchildren. A lover of Broadway musical comedies, he would often spring into song, a true Scarsdale Galahad.
Bill is survived by his 6 children: Kate Sanford Fentress of South Dartmouth, Mass.; Deborah Sanford Knight of Weston, Mass.; Peter Burns Sanford (Tinker) of Greenwich, Conn.; Christine Sanford Crawford of Meridien, Miss.; Amanda Sanford Smith of Danvers, Mass.; and Megan Sanford Greenawalt of Flourtown, Pa. and his 10 grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday December 6 at 11:00a.m. at St. Catherine’s of Siena in Riverside, NY.
