Gary Wakefield Sanford

Gary Wakefield Sanford, born March 7, 1952 in Dallas, Texas to C.A. And Martha Sanford, passed away on January 18, 2026.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents Hill and Dess Eubanks and Claud and Pearl Davenport; parents C.A. Sanford and step-mother Gwen, Martha Young and step-father Jerry Young; and sister, Claudia Young.

He is survived by his wife Susan Sanford, Trey Sanford and wife Dana, Courtney Sanford, James Shields, Drew Shields and wife, Edith; Jacqueline and Julia Sanford, Daniel and Charlie Shields and great grandson Ashton. Paul Sanford, Ben Sanford and wife Mo, Rudy Young and wife Shelley, Julie Eichenberger and husband Ben; Paul Jr., James, Troy, Christian, Jennifer, Thomas, David, Nicky, Benjamin and a host of friends.

Gary’s first job was at the neighborhood service station in Mesquite, TX when he was still a teen-ager. He worked as a surveyor, construction worker/foreman, in the GPS field, insurance inspector, catastrophe insurance adjuster and bus driver. He always had at least one or two jobs plus a side hustle to keep him busy. He loved adventure, experiencing new things and meeting new people. He never met a stranger and could talk to anyone. As a result, he has friends and acquaintances across the country whose lives he impacted in some way. One particular experience stayed with Gary for the rest of his life. One night during his GPS days he found himself alone on an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico. As he looked out across the water to the skies and all the stars, he was struck by God’s wonder and majesty and that the God of the Heavens was also the God that knew, loved and took care of Gary – even as small and insignificant as he might feel. His favorite saying was “God takes care of big Gary” and he believed it with all his heart.

In addition to God, his family and golf, Gary had a deep love and compassion for those he called the “street people”. In the early 2000’s, he took food, water, blankets and coats to the men and women living under the bridges in downtown Dallas. It was there that he met Clifford Carl Mitchell, a/k/a Snuff, who would be a dear friend until his death in 2016. In lieu of flowers or as a memorial to Gary, the family requests that you find your local mission, shelter or food pantry and volunteer your time and resources helping those in need. As Gary did, you will also find the joy and reward of Matthew 25:40, “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” The family will be planning a day of service to honor Gary in the spring and invite you to join them.

Gary lived life to its fullest and was proud to remind everyone that “I did it my way”. He will be missed by all who knew him but we rest secure in the knowledge that we will meet again. A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00pm on March 7, 2026 at Lucas Funeral Home, 1321 Precinct Line Rd, Hurst, TX 76053.