Philip H Sands

http://www.eagletribune.com/obituaries/x1414090295/Philip-H-Sands-81

March 31, 2009 Philip H. Sands, 81

WILMINGTON — Philip H. Sands, 81, of Wilmington, and a 49-year resident of Tewksbury, died on Friday, March 20, 2009.

Son of Harold M. Sands and Mary Louise (Guy) Sands, Phil grew up in Jaffrey, N.H. He loved the outdoors, camping, woodworking, Eagle Scouts, and playing on the high school basketball team. Shortly after graduating from Conant High School in 1945, he met Barbara Standbridge of Reading who was working at Shattuck Inn in Jaffrey, and who would later become his wife.

Phil was called to military service in September of 1945, trained at Fort Bragg, N.C. in the tank destroyer unit, and shipped out to Korea where he served for over a year, attaining the rank of Sergeant before returning home.

In 1948, he married his sweetheart and enrolled at the University of New Hampshire in the forestry program, graduating in 1952 with a B.S. degree in Forestry. By then, two children had been born and the family moved to Charlottesville, Va. where Phil took a job with a tree and landscape company. Two more children were born there and in 1958, they returned to New England and settled in Tewksbury and one more child was added to the family.

Phil worked with several tree and landscape companies before accepting the position of Assistant Director of Grounds at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, where he worked for 16 years. He also served as secretary of the Horticultural Club of Boston for nine years and was the president of the Company of Military Historians of Boston when he managed their International Convention in 1995.

Family was always Phil's first priority, but he found time to become a skilled woodcarver with displays and shows at libraries and art shows. He was an avid reader of military history and collected militaria, clocks and old illustrated books.

Always interested in Scottish history, he learned to play the bagpipes and became a piper with Clan MacPherson of Andover where he served for many years. In 1978, his proudest accomplishment was to be a founding member of the Campbell Highlanders of Andover, as piper and business manager for 20 years.

Phil and Barbara celebrated their 60th anniversary on Sept. 11, 2008. He is survived by his loving wife, Barbara (Standbridge) Sands and his children; Marsha N. Sands and her husband Stephen Kandul of Savannah, Ga.; Gregory S. Sands and his wife Dawna (West) Sands of Clinton; Julie H. Sands and John Bulli of Pepperell; Gwendolyn J. Goguelet and her husband Jacky of Dover, N.H. He was predeceased by his daughter, Donna L. Sands, in 1996. He is also survived by his brother, Harold G. Sands and wife, Norma, of Jaffrey, N.H., and by seven grandchildren.