It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of James G. Sanford, 87, of Curtice, Ohio on Saturday, July 29, 2023 following an 11-month battle with renal cell carcinoma. Jim was born in Plainwell, MI on November 27, 1935 to Gilbert and Vivian (Tank) Sanford, III. When Jim was just a year old, his family moved back home to the Bono/Reno Beach area, where his family owned and operated a gas station and tavern near the Bono curve. In his teens, he developed a lifelong love of cars, and loved to street race. He was proud to hold the title of 'fastest car in Toledo' for a while. That love of racing earned him the nickname of 'Barney' after the famous race car driver Barney Oldfield. He graduated from Clay High School in 1953, where he played baseball and basketball.

A few years later, Jim would meet his best friend and love of his life, Barbara (Zam) and they were married on July 25, 1958 at St Stephen's Church in Toledo. They moved together to Curtice, OH where they planted roots and raised their four children. They were able to celebrate their 65th anniversary a few days before his passing.

Jim was a master mechanic at LOF for 32 years before retiring. He regularly worked 16-hour shifts, seven days a week in order to provide a good life for his family. His hard work & dedication to family was instilled in his children and grandchildren. No matter how many hours he worked, he always made sure to attend mass every week, at St Stephen's, where he was a lifelong member. Jim had a gift of being able to fix anything…he was a Master Mechanic after all. He was the go-to guy if you needed anything repaired and was always up for a challenge.

Jim was a sports fanatic! He loved the Boston Red Sox (since Ted Williams days), Notre Dame football, and golf, but really anything that was played with a ball. Jim was a scratch golfer, and for those that don't know what that means, he was darn good! He played on a couple of leagues starting in the '60s at his favorite course, Chippewa..where he once recorded his personal best round of 67. He also enjoyed fishing on his boat on Lake Erie. He later taught his wife the game of golf, and they both enjoyed their time together playing a game that they both loved, up until his illness.

In his retirement, he continued to enjoy his hobbies, but really loved to watch his grandkids' sporting events. He was their #2 fan, (grandma was always #1) continuously encouraging them every step of the way. He was so proud of all of their accomplishments and still loved to reminisce about those glory days He could remember things that happened years before in detail. He also enjoyed hanging out with his good friends, Roberta 'Bert' and Karl Orians. He loved to help with whatever needed fixing at their farm, or at Chippewa fixing golf carts, or whatever needed repairs; but mostly just having good conversations & making memories. They both held a special place in his heart.

Jim had a great sense of humor and sarcasm that everyone loved about him. During his illness, so many of his caregivers were lured into his charm, and he quickly became everyone's favorite patient. If they asked him what he was most proud of, he would immediately say his family. He was so incredibly proud of all of our successes, but really, we were successful because of him and the example he provided. We truly were blessed with the best! He will be deeply missed, but his legacy will continue in all those who loved him.

Jim is survived by his wife of 65 years, Barbara, daughters, Kris (Gary "Punk") Nissen, Lori (Mark) Cousino; sons, Jim (Pam) Sanford, Ron (Penelope); grandchildren, Nicole (Bob) Bergman, Jill (Jay) Neundorfer, Kurt Nissen, Shelly (Sean) Hintz, Danny (Lauren) Stein, James, Grace, Matthew, and Katie Sanford; great-grandchildren, Bo, Britain, and Bauer Bergman, Brady and Grant Hintz, and Avery Stein. He is also survived by brother, Bob Sanford, sister, Dolores Reardon; sister-in-laws, Patricia Hornyak, Yolie (Ken) Irwin, and brother-in-law, Joe (Darcy) Zam; and many nieces, nephews, and loving family members. He is proceeded in death by his parents, and sister, Mary Ann Sanford.

The family will receive friends at the Eggleston Meinert & Pavley Funeral Home, Oregon Chapel, 440 S. Coy Rd on Friday, August 4, 2023 from 2:00-8:00 p.m. The family will also greet friends on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at Epiphany of the Lord-St Stephen's Parish 1880 Genesee St, Toledo, Ohio, from 9:00 a.m. until the time of Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. We are honored to have Father Ronald Olszewski (uncle of daughter-in-law Pam) presiding. Interment will follow at St Ignatius Cemetery, Oregon, Ohio. Expressions of sympathy in Jim's honor may be directed to the Jimmy V Foundation (v.org) or to Hospice of Northwest Ohio (hospicenwo.org), or the charity of the donor's choice.

Jim's family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of his medical team; the doctors, nurses, and entire staffs of St. Charles, St Vincent's, The Genoa Care Center, and Hospice of Northwest Ohio for the compassionate care they provided. Jim truly enjoyed your friendships and compassion during his illness.