Carl Sanborn

Bangor - Colonel Carl Henry Sanborn, U.S. Army (Ret.), 76, of Bangor, Maine, died July 29, 2024, in the company of his loving family after an illness.
Carl was born September 25, 1947, in Columbia, South Carolina, to Bert Sumner Sanborn and Jane Wheaton Sanborn. He grew up in a military family, and lived on bases from Japan to Hawaii to Aroostook County, before settling in Bangor after his father's retirement from the Air Force. He graduated from Bangor High School in 1965, and received a degree in forestry from the University of Maine in 1969. At the University of Maine he was a member of R.O.T.C. and the university rifle team. He was commissioned as an officer in the Army upon graduation, and served in the Army and Army Reserve for thirty years. He served in Vietnam with the 1st Air Cavalry Division, and later was the military liaison to the Maine Emergency Management Agency. While in the service, he graduated the Army's Airborne and Ranger schools, and was awarded the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars with "V" device, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, and numerous meritorious service medals.
Carl was a forester with Prentiss & Carlisle and R. Leon Williams Lumber Company, and a procurement manager with Louisiana Pacific. He later worked as an independent forestry consultant. A faithful steward of the Maine forests, Carl was dedicated to the preservation of the woodlands and rivers where he fished and hunted, from his childhood and throughout his life. He and his wife, Jane, were enthusiastic gardeners, of their own garden, and of the gardens of nearly everyone they knew. Carl delighted in the steadfast company provided by an extended family of friends, hunting partners, nieces and nephews. Most of all, Carl treasured time spent with his grandchildren. He was determined to share his greatest joys with them, and always happily indulged them in theirs. With boundless energy and unyielding principle, Carl was a devoted servant of his country, his family, his dear friends, and all who knew him.
He was preceded in death by his father, Bert Sanborn; his mother, Jane Wheaton Leland; his stepfather, Gordon Leland; and his sister-in-law, Deborah Darling. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jane (Dauphinee) Sanborn; his daughters, Jessica and her husband, Kent Salfi, of Dedham, and Anissa and her husband, Marty Malague, of Brunswick; his four grandchildren, Jack, Lily, Eddie, and Molly; his brother, Don Sanborn and his wife, Dottie, of Fulton, MD; his sister, Chris Nelson of Festus, MO; his brother-in-law, John Darling of Bar Harbor; and his lifelong friend, Mike Bassi and his wife, Carol.
The family would like to express their eternal gratitude to the nurses at Gentiva Hospice, in particular Eileen Hastings.
Relatives and friends are invited to call 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, August 4, 2024, at Brookings-Smith, 133 Center St., Bangor. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 12 p.m. Monday August 5, 2024, at St. Paul the Apostle Parish, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Ohio St., Bangor. The Rite of Committal will follow at Mt. Pleasant Catholic Cemetery. The family invites relatives and friends to share conversation and refreshments in the parish hall, following the Mass. Donations in Carl's memory may be made to Wings for Children and Families Inc, 900 Hammond St., Bangor, ME 04401.