Chandler “Sandy” McGaw of Camden, Maine, was killed in a collision on the afternoon of Jan. 17. He was enjoying one of his many pleasures in life, riding his motorcycle while vacationing in Florida. He was 58 years old.
Sandy, also known as “Pete” to some, “Pants” to others, lived his life with genuine goodness and true integrity. A quick-witted conversationalist and a truly reflective listener, Sandy chose to see the best in people, and when you spoke with him you felt as if you were the most treasured person in the room. Loving and nurturing came as naturally to him as did problem solving for a million-dollar business. He was solid in his sense of self, and, in turn, others knew he was a safe harbor where one could travel and ride out their storm.
He was a true Renaissance man who left home at 17 to open a Sandy’s Fiberglass Shop on St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. He sailed and worked, scuba-dived and para-glided his way through the Caribbean for 20-some years before moving to Camden, Maine, to manage the Wayfarer Marina. After a decade, he quit the boat business to become an artist, creating hundreds of the most beautifully molded and distinct little bronze and silver heads, each of which expressed the beauty Sandy saw in the faces of ordinary folk living very human lives. Sandy relished natural beauty, but what set him apart was his ability to bring forth the hidden language of a found object and assign it value and meaning—a talent honed over decades of treasure hunting with his mother, Marty, in flea markets and abandoned houses, and even with metal detectors in the sand dunes of beaches up and down the East Coast.
After raising two remarkable souls, son Mac and daughter Maggie, into adulthood, Sandy was blessed to find true love a mere few years ago, when he asked an old friend, Melissa Lamont, out for dinner. Missy and Sandy were married in 2013. Giving was his nature and with the combined forces of him and his “Little Woman,” one knew one was fortified and sustained.
This pair taught us all what true partnership and compassion looked like.
In addition to Marty, Missy, Mac and Maggie, Sandy’s siblings: Parlan McGaw (along with wife Madeline and daughter Melina), Carrie McGaw and Morgan Rowe; stepchildren: True, Ivan, Max and Addie Bragg; stepbrothers: David and James McGaw; stepsister, Robin Hughes; along with a multitude of family, friends and co-workers from around the globe hold him dear.
Our laughter at his mischief and humor will over time replace our tears because when Sandy laughed he made you laugh with your entire being and you were made whole again. Sandy, thank you for being our family, our friend, our anchor. It will be our honor to carry what you taught us forward. We love you so much.
A Celebration of Life will be planned for spring or summer. To be kept in the loop for this event or to send messages of condolence, please write to forsandymcgaw@gmail.com
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to surfrider.org or bmwmoa.org
