News Summary
The community honors the life of Kevin Lee Sanford, a retired military officer and beloved JROTC teacher.
Shreveport, Louisiana — Retired Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Lee Sanford passed away on May 4, 2025, at his home in Shreveport. He was 72 years old.
Born on May 8, 1952, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sanford was the son of Helen and James Sanford. He spent his childhood in several cities throughout the South and Midwest before moving to Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 1963. He graduated from Fayetteville High School in 1970 and later attended the University of Arkansas. There, he earned a scholarship through the Army Reserve Officers Training Corps and graduated in May 1974 with a Bachelor’s Degree in History, being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army as an armor officer.
Sanford married Valerie J. Hatfield on May 19, 1974, at her family home in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Over the course of his twenty-four-year military career, he served in various states and countries, including Kentucky, Germany, Kansas, Arkansas, Maryland, Louisiana, and Missouri, before retiring on June 1, 1998.
After his retirement, Sanford moved to Shreveport, where he dedicated two decades to teaching Junior ROTC at Northwood High School and Woodlawn High School, retiring from that position on October 1, 2018. Throughout his life, he was known for living by the principles of “God, Country, Family.”
In addition to his military service and teaching career, Sanford was a passionate history buff, politically active, and an accomplished chess player. He valued spending time with fellow retired JROTC cadre members and enjoyed sharing breakfast and lunch with them. His love for history also extended to family trips to battlefields, cemeteries, and national parks, and he enjoyed watching westerns and war movies that portrayed the triumph of good over evil.
Sanford is survived by his wife of fifty years, Valerie Jean (Hatfield) Sanford, their daughter, Valerie (Patrick) Mullane of Rudy, Arkansas, his grandson, Collin Jakob Manley of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and his mother, Helen Imogene (Tollett) Sanford of Farmington, Arkansas. He was predeceased by his father, James Joseph Sanford.
Visitation and Funeral Details
Visitation for Kevin Lee Sanford will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2025, from 10 a.m. to noon at Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Funeral Home in Bossier City, Louisiana. Funeral services with full military honors are scheduled for May 15, 2025, at 10 a.m. at Moore’s Chapel Funeral Home in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with private interment to follow at the National Cemetery in Fayetteville.
Memorial Donations
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to pancan.org to honor his memory and support pancreatic cancer awareness and research.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
HERE Resources
Additional Resources
- Rose-Neath Funeral Home: Kevin Sanford
- Wikipedia: United States Army
- Obituary Tribute for Kevin Sanford
- Google Search: Kevin Sanford
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps
Author: STAFF HERE SHREVEPORT WRITER
The SHREVEPORT STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREShreveport.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Shreveport, Caddo Parish, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Mudbug Madness Festival, Red River Revel Arts Festival, and Independence Bowl. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Shreveport-Bossier Chamber of Commerce and Shreveport Regional Arts Council, plus leading businesses in gaming, healthcare, and energy that power the local economy such as Horseshoe Casino, Ochsner LSU Health, and Atmos Energy. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREBatonRouge.com and HERENewOrleans.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Louisiana's dynamic landscape.
