Obituary of Earl Stanley Sanford

Earl Stanley Sanford, a long-time investment executive in the Twin Cities, died May 17, 2017. Surrounded by his family, he died peacefully of natural causes. He was 89-years-old. Earl was married to Minneapolis Star Tribune Columnist Barbara Flanagan for 50 years. He was a devoted and loving husband and together, they were an indefatigable couple who had a positive impact on the Minneapolis/St. Paul Communities. Earl was born June 11, 1927, in Norfolk, Nebraska. He was the son of Abraham and Grace Skalowsky. Earl grew up in Norfolk and served in the US Navy in WW2 and in the US Army Finance Corps in the Korean War. He traveled extensively in Europe and often referred to Switzerland as his favorite country. Before and after serving, Earl studied at the University of Minnesota and received a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1953. Upon graduation, Earl joined J.M.Dain & Company (predecessor of Dain Bosworth) and spent 10 years building his career, first as a broker and then managing and mentoring other brokers. He was admired by those who worked with him and those who competed in the market as "a class act with integrity and a concern for the community and people." In 1963, Earl joined Kidder Peabody & Company where he was a Vice President and Resident Manager of the Minneapolis office and was a shareholder when acquired by GE in 1986. Earl took over an office with seven brokers and turned it into a revenue powerhouse for Kidder hiring and mentoring some of the best investment advisors in the Twin Cities. Earl was a member of the Phoenix Honorary Men's Society, Past Director of the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, Past Governor of the Securities Industry Association, Twin City Bond Club, Investors Bankers Association, Member of the 6 O'clock Club, Kiwanis Club, Korner Club and Minnesota Alumni Club, and the "infamous" Cheese Table at the Minneapolis Club. After retiring from Kidder Peabody, Earl continued investment consulting from the 49th floor of the IDS tower along with his many retired buddies from some of Minnesota's finest companies. He was frequently hired as an "Expert Witness" for many investment banking lawsuits. It was said that when the opposing side heard that Earl Sanford was the Expert Witness, they would most often settle the case! Earl was a Trustee of the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts and subsequently served as President of the College of Art and Design, and Board member of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. In addition, he was a trustee and major fundraiser for the Minnesota Orchestral Society and the MacPhail School of Music, as well as a Trustee of Northland College, Vice Chairman of the United Way, and with Barb served as an active fundraiser for many other prominent Minneapolis charities. Earl was a member of the Minneapolis Club and the Minikahda Club. He and Barb split their time between Minneapolis and Naples, FL until 2014 when they moved to Wayzata. Earl is survived by his wife Barbara, his three children, Anne Magill (Jim Magill), San Francisco, Mindy Sanford, Minneapolis, and her children Elisabeth and Charlie, and Albert Sanford (Dorothy Wildman), Aspen, and his brother Larry Sanford, San Francisco, and his niece Jaimie Sanford (Ted Storey), San Francisco, and nephew Guy Sanford, Sacramento. Earl was predeceased by his granddaughter Grace Magill. Above all else, Earl was a gentleman and liked by nearly everyone who knew him. He was a fair and honest man and conducted his life with dignity up until the end. One of Earl's mottos and there were many was "Be nice to everybody! And the people that you may not care for, be nicer to." He had an amazing ability to strike up a conversation with anybody about anything whether it was in the elevator, the skyway system or the checkout aisle at Lunds. Earl was a kind and generous man. He gave freely of himself to his family, his employees and to his community. He will be remembered for having made his mark both in the business and philanthropic community of the Twin Cities. Many thanks to all the people who took such good care of him from Living Life Home Care, and the Allina Hospice team. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to The Minnesota Orchestra, MacPhail Center for Music, and The Minneapolis Institute of Art.