Obituary: Retired Foxborough Police Officer John Sanford, 87

FOXBOROUGH, MA — John "Jack" Leonard Sanford, 87, a retired Foxborough police officer, died Jan. 20 at Tobey Hospital in Wareham after complications from Alzheimer's disease. Sanford was born in Foxborough on April 8, 1932, the son of John and Anna Sanford.

Sanford went to school in the Foxborough public school system and was a member of the high school football team. After completing school, Sanford served in the Korean War as a U.S. Marine. Him and his wife Helen were married at St. Mary's Church in Norton on June 4, 1955.

Sanford served as a Foxborough police officer for more than 25 years and used to work details with Selectman and former Police Chief Edward O'Leary.

"I knew Jack to be a solid guy," O'Leary told Patch. "He knew the job, did it well and worked as many of us did, on details at what was then the Foxborough Raceway."

In Sanford's obituary on Roberts and Sons Funeral Home's website, his family said he was an avid New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox fan who enjoyed spending time with his family.

"He spent his November vacations in the north woods hunting," the obituary read."He was most happy when spending time with his loving family."

Sanford was the husband of the late Helen Sanford, father of Donna Sanford, of Carver, Diane Adams, of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, and Michael Sanford, of Northbirdge. He was the grandfather of Taylor and Mason Sanford, of Northbridge, brother of Nancy Swift, of Foxborough, Mary Truax, of Ocala, Florida, and the late Joan Horne.

Family and friends are invited to attend services from 4 p.m.to 7 p.m. Thursday at Roberts and Sons Funeral Home at 30 South St. in Foxborough. The funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday at St. Patrick Church at 82 High St. in Wareham, and will be followed by U.S. Marine honors at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Sanford's memory can be made to the Alzheimer's Association at 225 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago, Illinois.