Ready smile, quick wit, and always a generous spirit; that's Velma Sanford in a nutshell. The first of four daughters born to Choice and Hester Culver, Velma grew up in District Heights, Maryland, running the neighborhood with her younger sister Norma at her side.
When the family moved to Forestville in the mid-1940s, Velma's cousins introduced her to Herman Sanford, a young man with a big smile and a big car, and her happy path was set. After graduating from Maryland Park High School, Velma "gifted" her dad with a son-in-law on his birthday, June 21, 1951. The newlyweds set up house in Ardmore, Maryland, and embarked on a life together that thrived on faith, family and friends for more than 50 years, until Hermie's death in 2004.
Velma was the no-excuses trail-boss of her family. No chores were left undone! She was quick to organize and lend a hand, whether it was during her 35-year career at Southern Maryland's Tri-County Council or as a faithful member of Calvary Methodist Church in Waldorf or St. Matthews By The Sea in Fenwick Island, Delaware.
Vel was always generous with her time and treasure, and after retirement she was busy as ever with projects such as an international students program to ensure that living conditions were safe for foreign students who came to work for the summer at the beach. Her service to Good Samaritan Thrift Shop supporting area food pantries was invaluable, not to mention all the clothes she bought! She managed programs such as Single Seniors for her church and was a stalwart supporter of Red Bird Mission in Kentucky, for many years travelling there to provide hands-on help. One of her later charities was Society of St. Andrews (SOSA), a national organization of volunteers to glean food from commercial fields to feed the hungry.
And Vel was a traveler. Across the country or across the world, Velma was ready to go. Spain, Morocco, Haiti, France, Germany, the Caribbean, Ireland, and Italy were some of the trips she made with family and friends. A killer Scrabble player, she would forego a high scoring word if it meant she would open a triple-score space for her opponent; and her Scrabble dictionary was always close at hand! But Velma also loved lounging, and she would head to the beach at the drop of a hat or the sound of an umbrella being jammed in the sand. When Parkinsons Disease had severely limited Velma's activities, she could still give her family - and especially her daughter Patti - flashes of her Culver keenness which was so treasured by them all.
Velma is survived by daughters Patti Harhai [John] and Pam Sanford [Silvie], sisters Marian Jenkins [Lew] and Sandy McGraw. Velma was predeceased by sister and brother-in-law Norma and Edsel Bradbury. She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, and cousins to cherish her memory. Velma's daughter Patti and her sisters extend a special thanks to the kind staff of Hermitage Assisted Living in Solomons who so lovingly cared for our dear mother and sister.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Velma's memory may be made to SOSA, at www.endhunger.org or to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, https://www.michaeljfox.org.
Interment of Ashes June 21, 2025, 11 a.m., St. Peters Cemetery columbarium, Waldorf.