Obituary of Sanford Bothman

We mourn the passing of Sanford Burton Bothman, and bid farewell to a man whose kindness and generosity touched many lives.

Sandy, 94, of Santa Barbara, California, passed away on November 19, 2023 from cancer and Parkinson’s disease. Sandy is survived by his loving wife, Annette, daughter Sharon, sons David and Danny, daughter-in-law Teresa, and grandsons Aron and Sean. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his sister Barbara (Bothman) Meyer.

He was born on July 22, 1929, in Los Angeles, California, to Jacob and Ethel Bothman, who had moved there with their extended families in the 1910s from Missouri and Illinois. Sandy’s father, Jacob, lost his business during the Depression, and when he began to travel extensively as a salesman, Sandy’s uncle Sam stepped forward to mentor him. Sam took Sandy to ball games and bought him his first car, a 1931 Ford which Sandy restored to operating condition at the service station where he worked.

Sandy met Annette Friedman at a party in college, and they dated for a few months before Annette left for a nearly year-long post-graduation trip to Europe and Israel. Smitten, he persuaded Annette to return to the U.S. and they were married three weeks later. They spent their honeymoon on a scenic road trip to Great Falls, Montana where Sandy reported for active duty at Malmstrom AFB. Annette remembers that on the way Sandy practiced saying “Lieutenant Bothman reporting for duty, Sir!” as directed by the Air Force manual.

Family, friends and community groups relied on Sandy for his intelligence and care. He was calm and generous, and maintained a wonderful sense of humor – even in difficult situations. Sandy was a role model and teacher to his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews – helping them see problems from different perspectives. Always charming, he made friends easily and maintained relationships throughout his life, even continuing to meet regularly with his basketball buddies from high school. Nothing made Sandy happier than helping others. He would always ask “what can I do for you?”.

He attended elementary and middle school in La Cañada and Los Angeles and later graduated from Beverly Hills High School, where his claim to fame was a (minor) role in The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer with Shirley Temple and Carey Grant. Sandy furthered his education at UCLA, UC Berkeley and USC on an ROTC scholarship majoring in journalism. After active duty in the USAF Sandy attended the UCLA School of Law, graduating in 1959. Sandy was a life-long student; throughout his adulthood he earned his real estate broker’s license, his instrument rating as a pilot and a master’s degree in mediation from Pepperdine Law School.

After law school, Sandy embarked on a successful career as an attorney, practicing as part of the firm Bothman Angus and Talcott. In the early 1980s he left to serve as Corporate Counsel at the Friedman Bag Company. After retiring as a lawyer he worked as a mediator.

Aviation was a passion for Sandy. He learned to fly as a teenager in Los Angeles, and he liked to tell us that his first flight instructor’s license was signed by Orville Wright. As a journalist in the Air Force he enjoyed flying with fighter pilots on training missions. Later in life he and his flying partner purchased a Beechcraft Debonair, and Sandy enjoyed flying throughout the western United States while Annette white-knuckled it all the way.

In 2015 Sandy and Annette moved to Maravilla, a senior community in Santa Barbara. Sandy was active in the Men’s Club, Fireside Chats and various book and writing groups. He was especially fond of his close friends in the ROMEO Wednesday lunch club.

Annette and Sandy were active at Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles, where he served as board president; they joined Congregation B’nai B’rith after moving to Santa Barbara.

Sandy was fortunate to receive excellent medical care at Sansum Clinic and Cottage Hospital. The family is grateful to the caring staff at Casa St. James where Sandy lived for several weeks, and to the staff at Serenity House in Santa Barbara where Sandy spent his last days in hospice care. Susan Dickenson’s guidance finding these and other care resources for Sandy was invaluable. The McDermott Crockett Funeral Home in Santa Barbara, CA, is assisting the family with burial arrangements.

Farewell Sandy – you will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing you. Your legacy of kindness, generosity, and love will forever live on in the hearts of those you touched.

The family encourages all of Sandy’s friends to do something kind for another person. We feel that this is what he would have wanted. Donations can also be made to the Parkinson’s Association of Santa Barbara.

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