Obituary of C. Sanford McFarlane

Surrounded by his family, Sanford peacefully passed away at his home after a brave battle with colon cancer. Sanford had a passion for life and a very strong value system demonstrated through his close connections with his family, friends, and the business community. Sanford will be missed by his wife and best friend, Patti, of 33 years and their four children, Gordon and his wife Julie, Stuart and his wife Maureen, Heather and her husband Ryan Hurst, and Kaitlin and her partner Marc Sgrignoli. He will also be remembered by his two sisters, Joan and her husband Ray Parker, and Janet Mott. Sanford was a wonderful husband, father, athlete, and business leader. He loved spending time with his family - sharing special dinners and celebrations with them and enjoying weekends at the cottage in Thornbury. Being exposed to sports at an early age in his childhood home in Levack, Ontario, he continued this active lifestyle throughout his life. Sanford participated in many outdoor pursuits with his family including skiing at Craigleith Ski Club, golfing at Beacon Hall and the Collingwood area, biking around the Beaver Valley, and fishing at Nekabong Fishing Club in Quebec. On Lora Bay, he shared many summer days with his loved ones as he proudly captained his boat, Ooslik. Each summer, Sanford helped plan the annual McFarlane canoe trip, where his mapping skills were often in question. When Sanford was not engaged in sports, he could be found driving in his convertible with the top down. Sanford was a mentor to many and touched a lot of people in a very positive way. He derived more pleasure from giving than receiving. He was a patron of the arts, contributing to the National Ballet of Canada, Canadian Craft Guild Shop, and supportive of many Canadian artists. He was also actively engaged with the United Way, serving as a Campaign Cabinet member. Sanford was dedicated to Davis + Henderson, a company with which he spent 31 years, including serving as Chief Executive Officer. Under Sanford�s leadership, Davis + Henderson gained recognition within the financial services industry as a committed partner with a strong focus on customer excellence. He genuinely cared about employees and took great pride in their commitment to the business. He operated, both in his personal and business life, with integrity and on a basis of trusting relationships. These are values that he instilled in the organization that he led. Sanford will be dearly missed by employees and customers and all those he touched within his career at Davis + Henderson. The McFarlane family would like to extend a special thanks to Dr.Rahim and the Oncology nurses at Toronto East General Hospital, Dr. Fakih from Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York, the Community Care Access Centre of York Region, and Saint Elizabeth Health Care. A very special appreciation to Patti�s sister, Dr. Jane Kettles, her husband Dr. Les Urbankiewicz, and Jane�s son, Dr. Andrew Borden for their ongoing support and medical expertise throughout our journey.