Marty Sanden
Marty Sanden
Marty Sanden, age 74, died peacefully in the early hours of June 17, 2018. His last day with us, a Saturday had been such a good one. He and a friend had planted two trees in the front yard during the morning. Later, he and his wife Rosie, his son Eric and wife Tia, along with Eric’s former wife Autumn and her husband Rick had enjoyed Eric and Autumn’s daughter Summer Sanden’s gymnastics recital. After sharing an early Father’s Day dinner at EBC, Summer went back to Grandma and Grandpa’s home where they enjoyed a Harry Potter movie before bedtime. We are so thankful to have these loving memories, for Marty was with God by morning.
Marty was a man with a heart so big, filled with love for his family and friends. He was Summer’s Grandpa and spent countless hours playing with her, reading bedtime stories, and taking her toy shopping. His devotion to son Eric and his wife Tia was boundless. He spent many hours talking with daughter Emily who lives in New Mexico. Marty and Rosie loved one another deeply as well as their church family at Fredonia Presbyterian Church. For many years they sponsored a Compeer group and attended monthly meetings in their church community room. Marty also served as a trustee and sang tenor in the choir for many years. They also enjoyed years singing with Mac Nelson’s Catch Club.
Marty was a man of so many interests. He kept meticulous annual and life lists of the birds he spotted. He also nurtured all baby bird that nested near his home, particularly providing meal worms three times a day for four baby blue birds after they fledged recently. He enjoyed vigorous hiking, biking, and birding with his best friend Dave Chase. Marty and Rosie also shared good times hiking, creek walking and swimming in Lake Erie and at the college. The two of them had hiked in the Adirondacks and California and gone on hiking tours to Spain, Austria, the Amalfi Coast and Corfu. The Corfu Hikers became their special friends and have had hiking reunions, the tenth reunion coming up in September. Marty and Rosie also enjoyed many operas, ballets, plays and more at the college and Fredonia Opera House. Marty knew as much about opera as he did about birding and had seen over sixty opera according to his lengthy lists.
He also had a number of civic interests and kept track of many local situations he thought needed his input. As a member of Revitalize Dunkirk, he focused on transportation matters including bike paths, bike lanes on streets and walkable sidewalks. He was a volunteer at Vita tax services and trained as a mediator for the county. And he made countless phone calls and wrote countless emails on civic issues including the proposed roundabout, wind turbines and pier designs.
Marty was born in Warren, Pennsylvania, the son of Boyd and Hazel (Stover) Sanden, both deceased. He also had a brother Pete, deceased, and a sister-in-law Ethyl and it was at their family cabin that he and Rosie enjoyed visits. He graduated from Warren High School, class of 1962, and Westminster College in 1966 with a BS in Business Administration. After that, he got a job with Chautauqua County Social Services and remained there until his retirement.
He is survived by his wife Rosie, children Eric and Emily, four grandchildren; Eric’s daughter Summer of Silver Creek and Emily’s children Jah, Cia and V all of New Mexico as well as a cousin Bob Garretson of Warren, PA. He is also survived by Rosie’s children; Laura Musacchio of St. Paul Minneapolis, Jim Musacchio, his wife Brenda and grandson Andrew, 17, in Gowanda and Lawtons, N.Y.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at the Fredonia Presbyterian Church, 219 Central Avenue, Fredonia, N.Y. on Sunday July 8, 2018 at 12:30 p.m., with Rev. Cynthia S. Wickwire Lundquist officiating. A luncheon for guest will follow.
Memorial contributions may be made to Fredonia Presbyterian Church, 219 Central Avenue, Fredonia, N.Y. 14063, 1891 Fredonia Opera House, 9 Church Street, P.O. Box 384, Fredonia N.Y. 14063 or a charity of your choice. Arrangements made by Larson-Timko Funeral Home, Fredonia N.Y.
Online condolences may be made at larsontimkofuneral home.com. Arrangements by David J. Dengler.