Darrell Gordon “Gup” Sanborn, 87, passed away Saturday morning March 14, 2020 at Catholic Medical Center in a room full of family that loved him dearly. He was born in Barton, VT, on October 11, 1932, the son of Ernest and Anna Sanborn. He grew up in Canaan, NH, and had many stories to tell about the hard times of The Depression and how he and his siblings still made life memorable.
Darrell joined the Army in 1953 and very proudly served with The Big Red One Infantry Division. He was stationed in several places including Texas and Germany and loved to share pictures and stories with family and friends. After the Army, Darrell moved to Claremont and made that his home, in 1957 he started work at the Claremont Post Office as a mail carrier. He loved working for the Post Office and thirty-one years later he retired as Postmaster. When his wife refused to let him sit home and do nothing, he went to work part time at the Claremont Police Station with parking enforcement for a few years.
On December 31, 1960 he decided to join a friend at a New Year’s Eve party and that is where he met the love of his life, Bev Cady. They married 10 months later on October 28, 1961, and shared 40 wonderful years as the absolute best couple anyone could meet. Together they raised their three children and enjoyed a happy, loving life on Byrd Ave. They both worked hard and devoted their lives to each other and their children. Once their children were grown, they bought a summer place in Wells, ME. They spent every weekend together in Maine, their favorite place to be. They loved having family and friends join them and brought their first grandson with them almost every weekend.
Darrell was always an avid reader and easily memorized everything he read. It was well known in the family and neighborhood to “ask Darrell” because sure enough, he would know the answer. He would humbly answer the million questions asked and would never mention or brag about his genius level IQ. But when he would answer every Jeopardy question, it was inevitable that someone in the room would ask “How the hell do you even know that??” and he would just shrug and say “I like to read”. Darrell was also a very loyal, lifelong Red Sox and Patriots fan. From the highs and the lows of the Sox seasons, he would get excited thinking they might just do it this year, then of course late in the season turn the game off and say, “maybe next year”. And he was positive Brady will stay.
Darrell was a quiet man with a wicked dry sense of humor. He truly was one of those men that everyone respected and loved. His life was not the same after unexpectedly losing his Bev on November 13, 2001.
He was brokenhearted and did carry on for his children, grandson and new grandson on the way. Through the years he kept occupied by constant visits and chatting with his best friends and next door neighbors, Bill and Seech Hingston, talking and debating about sports with his oldest son, Darrell Jr. He would send a simple two word email to his youngest son Dan when the Patriots beat the Dolphins. “Go Pats”, he looked forward to his haircuts and chats with his favorite daughter-in-law Terri, he would spend hours daily on the phone talking about classic movies and what was coming up on Turner Classic Movies with his daughter Heather, along with some good local gossip. He would proudly brag to anyone that would listen about his two grandsons, Gio and Alex. They were the light of his life and he loved to talk to Gio about school and sports and everything that was going on in his life. Alex was his little history buff partner and they would talk nonstop about it and share books.
Darrell was preceded in death by his best friend and wife, Bev. Also, his parents, siblings Robert (Nancy), Charlie (Pat), Ernest, Freydis (Bill), Catherine (Andrew) and Barbara. His niece Andrea Kuhn of California. Also, his sister-in-law Brenda Brousseau and Phil and nephews Mike and Matt Brousseau.
He sadly left behind his sons, Darrell Sanborn Jr, Claremont; Dan and wife Terri Sanborn, Salisbury; daughter Heather Sanborn, Springfield; grandsons Gio and Alex Sanborn, Springfield. He and Bev’s best friends of over 40 years, Bill and Seech Hingston, Claremont; his sisters-in-law Deb (and Don) Colburn, Windsor; Sandy Clary, Cornish; Nancy Sanborn, South Carolina; brothers-in-law Jim (and his puzzle partner Lanie) Cady, New London; Don Cady (his go-to for all help with the house), Charlestown; His daughter-in-laws children, Melissa (Eduardo) De Oliveria Assis, Kim (Andrew) Dimick and their children Allyson and Collin. His wonderful lifelong neighbors on Byrd Ave. His nephews and nieces that he loved dearly, Julie, Robert, Chuck, Elizabeth, Patsy, Kim, Paige, Christopher, Melissa, Michele, Shannon, Crystal, Jessica, Eric, Dani, Ryan and Jay.
This obituary may be long and seem like the writer is bragging about Darrell, but that is the only way to talk about the life of an amazing man. Someone that touched everyone’s lives and a man that meant more than a few paragraphs could ever describe. He will be missed so much by us all.
A graveside service will be held Wednesday, March 18th at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, NH at 3 PM with military Honors.
The Stringer Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
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