Dolores Elinor Sanderford

Dolores Elinor Sanderford, 89, of Jacksonville, Fl. can at last breathe easy. She passed quietly at her home on February 22, 2016 attended by her youngest son. She died the way she had wantedat home, without regrets, and ready to see what came next. Dolores was born on September 8, 1926 in Marianna, FL. to George & Myrtle "Bobbie" Peakman. She had three brothers; Harry, Kenneth, & Roy Peakman. She adored them and would later name her own three sons after them. Growing up with an entrepreneurial father allowed her to experience things that most kids only dream about. She ran the Shooting Gallery (back when they used real guns) and Duck Pond diversions in a carnival, worked in the family Boarding House, and experienced life "down on the farm". She was 13 years old at the end of the Great Depression, and a couple of years later, World War II came along. Like most of the country she pitched in to help. She wrote letters to her brothers who were fighting in the war, helped with scrap drives, and going door to door with other kids, helped collect pennies for the war effort. In 1944, after graduating from Pensacola High School, she went to work for the Department of the Navy at Naval Air Station Pensacola. In 1946, she was recognized for her efforts and given an accommodation for her wartime service "to the Navy and to the Country". Although a "Florida" girl, Dolores liked travel and had the opportunity to see much of the country. As a young woman she lived and worked in Chicago for the CEO of a major Steamship Company, and in Houston she once more worked for the Department of the Navy. From Houston she was transferred to San Diego where she met a "fat little sailor", who upon seeing her told his friend that he was "going to marry that girl". While she was not as initially enamored with the "FLS", he did eventually win her heart. In 1953, the "fat little sailor", David Starling Sanderford, did indeed "marry that girl". At first sight he had fallen in love. That love was to remain faithful and strong throughout his life. One year later a daughter, Starling Dolores Sanderford, was born in San Diego, CA. Starling was followed by Roy David Sanderford, Harry Bryan Sanderford, and Kenneth Daryl Sanderford. Over the next 63 years Dolores raised her children, loved and supported her family, her friends, and every stray animal or kid that ever "followed" her children home. She hauled kids (hers and others) to school, church, scouts, camp, beach, and a hundred other destinations. She became surrogate mother to half the neighborhood kids, and almost daily performed minor surgery on one of them or their dogs. She attended recitals, plays, and school functions without complaint and managed to keep her sanity while her children practiced a variety of instruments. She endured the teenage years, the "empty nest", and the loss of her one true love. She was intelligent, quick witted, an avid reader, and a lover of puzzles. She was funny, with a good sense of humor and a great laugh. She was honest and always told you what she really thought. She celebrated when you won, and commiserated when you lost. She had the temper that only a true redhead can possess, but she never held a grudge. She fiercely defended her family, was a true and loyal friend, and she loved without condition. Dolores Sanderford was, hands down, the best mom on the planet. She will be sorely missed by everyone who was fortunate enough to have known her. With one exception... Davethe "FLS"who will be happy to see his girl again. She is survived by all four of her children, her sister in law Shirley Peakman, her daughters in law Kathleen Gascoine and Sheryl Anne Sanderford, her grandsons Kevin Michael Sanderford, Daniel Bryan McGlamory Sanderford, and David James Sanderford. In lieu of flowers, Dolores asks that you make a donation to St. Judes Childrens Hospital or the Heart Foundation. Arrangements are under the direction of George H. Hewell and Son Funeral Home, 4140 University Blvd., S., Jacksonville, FL 32216..4140 University Blvd S Jacksonville, FL 32216 f: 904-739-81594747 Main St N Jacksonville, FL 32206 f: 904-353-0763