Emmett Barry Sanford, 65, of Columbus, Mississippi, husband, father, and grandfather, departed his earthly home on May 31, 2026.

Funeral services will be Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 2:00 PM at the Columbus Church of Christ with Billy Ferguson officiating.  A private family interment will be at Vernon City Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 1:00 PM until the time of the service at the Columbus Church of Christ.  Memorial Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

A man of countless accomplishments, achievements, and successes, he finally achieved the goal that mattered to him most and was beckoned into heaven’s doors.

Barry was born on January 17th, 1961, in Vernon, Alabama, to Emmett Cecil Sanford Jr. and Kay Denman Box. He was raised in Vernon and graduated from Lamar County High School in 1979. He attended the University of Alabama, where he met his partner and beloved wife Shannon Stephens Sanford and they shared 43 years of loving companionship.

He was a man of remarkable depth: complex yet grounded, hardworking yet content with life’s simple pleasures. At the center of everything was his rich Christian faith, which shaped how he lived and how he loved. He served faithfully as a past elder at 7th Street Church of Christ, and gave generously and abundantly to all.

A gifted inventor and successful businessman, he founded and led Trimjoist Corporation, earning several U.S. patents along the way. He was endlessly fascinated by technology and driven by a creative mind that was always building, imagining, and improving. A licensed pilot for 44 years, he brought that same sharpness to the cockpit: precise, unflappable, and steady under any pressure.

A devoted Alabama football fan, he never missed a chance to cheer on the Crimson Tide, and Saturdays in the fall always found him rooting for his team.

But for all his accomplishments, he found the most joy in his family. He was a devoted father and spouse who gave of himself freely, generous to a fault and benevolent beyond reason. Those who knew him will remember not only what he built, but how deeply he cared for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

He is survived by Shannon, their two children and their spouses, Stephen Sanford and Skyler Sanford Thomas (Brian); his grandchildren, Jedi Sanford, Cully Sanford, Barrett Thomas and Sullivan Thomas; his sisters, Sherill Anne Wilson (Freddie) and Lori Sanford Dolan (Bobby) along with many other beloved relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Emmett and Kay Sanford of Vernon, Alabama.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to Torch Missions at torchmissions.org, a cause close to his heart.