A Loving Tribute

The past week can best be described as a whirwind or an emotional rollercoaster. I'm trying to be ok. The service was held on Tuesday morning, it was beautiful. I know he was smiling. My niece sang a beautiful song, then my Aunts gave a life sketch (I think they tried to be funny, but were unsucessful) then the Grandchildren sang "A Childs Prayer" that was very sweet. Then the 5 of us kids tried to speak. Geoff is supposed to be the strongest that is why he was nominated to speak for us, but he lost it 2 words into his talk. So it was down hill from there. We wanted everyone to see our dad the way we did and share some fun memories. I knew I couldn't say much so I had 6 lines to say and I TOTALLY screwed them up! We had our talk on a laptop because that way we could change it as much as possible up to the last second. Well half way through mine the screen went out! And infront of the 300 people that were there I said "Uh, oh... I've lost it" I'm glad I didn't cuss! I think my dad wanted me to laugh not cry so he did it on purpose. Then as we were getting down from the stage Geoff got stuck in the handicapped elevator, another joke from my dad. We thought it was classic.
After we spoke my dads friend (my dad was his scout master) sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic. We wanted that after we spoke because we totally lost it after that. It was our dads favorite song. Then Bob Cannon spoke, it was beautiful.
The internment was at Hillside Memorial Cemetery, as seen in the picture the San Bernardino County Sherrif's Serach and Rescue was our escort and presented my mom with the flag, while a friend played taps on the trumpet. This boy who played was named Mark, he and my dad sat next to eachother in the Stake Choir, he suffers from Bells Palsy and just returned from a mission in Argentina. He bawled the entire time he played. It was such a moving experience. I truly think it made my mom's family re-think their priorites and was a good missionary tool.

His Obit.

Smiley family descendant Thomas Sanborn dies
REDLANDS - Thomas "Tim" Sanborn, a Redlands native and descendant of the Smiley family of early Redlands, died Thursday, June 1, at his home in Redlands. Sanborn, 67, was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease about 30 years ago and had lived with the disease since then.
He was born May 30, 1939, in Redlands to Thomas and Hazel Sanborn. His paternal grandmother, Ruth Smiley Sanborn, was the daughter of Daniel Smiley, the half brother of early Redlands benefactors and "patron saints" Albert K. and Alfred H. Smiley who continued their philanthropic work.
Sanborn grew up on his family's ranch in San Timoteo Canyon before moving into Redlands proper. He attended McKinley Elementary School and Redlands Junior High School and was a 1957 graduate of Redlands High School.
During his senior year in high school he was the state of California's first-place winner of the Junior Chamber of Commerce-sponsored Teen-age Road-E-O driving competition. He competed for the national title in Washington, D.C., and came in third.
In May 1959 he married Rebecca Nielsen, and they had three children, Tamara, Geoffrey and Christopher.
He was an owner and partner of Sanborn's Heating and Air Conditioning in Redlands, a business started by his father. He retired several years ago, and the business, now Sanborn Westcoast Mechanical, is owned by his son Geoffrey.
Sanborn was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in a variety of positions.
He was an original member of the San Gorgonio Search and Rescue Team, belonged to the Redlands Area Historical Society and served as a docent at the Lincoln Shrine.
He had many hobbies and interests. He loved the outdoors, photography, desert racing, camping, hunting, fishing, remote-controlled airplanes and cars and doing jigsaw puzzles.
He was also interested in history, especially the Civil War, and he enjoyed researching and tracing his family's heritage through genealogy.
His family said he loved visiting with neighbors and friends and that he was a "kind, kind man who will be missed by all."
Survivors include his wife of 28 years, Eileen A. Sanborn of Redlands; three daughters, Tam Pendleton of Springville, Utah, Katie McIntosh of Beaumont and Erin Sanborn of Redlands; two sons, Geoffrey Sanborn of Mentone and Christopher Sanborn of Spanish Fork, Utah; a brother, Bob Sanborn of San Antonio, Texas; three sisters, Karen Williams of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Marty Henrie and Leslie Ventui, both of Escalante, Utah; and 13 grandchildren.
Visitation is scheduled 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, June 5, at Cortner Chapel, 221 Brookside Ave., Redlands. Services on Tuesday, June 6, will begin with visitation at 9 a.m. followed by a chapel service at 10 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Stake Center, 350 Wabash Ave., Redlands. Burial will follow at Hillside Memorial Park.
Memorial donations may be made to the Watchorn Lincoln Memorial Association, 125 E. Vine St., Redlands, CA 92373.