FALMOUTH, MA — Roland Stanford passed away on Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at Falmouth Hospital with his wife Phyllis Stanford by his side. Many family members and friends visited with and cared for him in the hours, days, and weeks prior.

Born in Oxford, Nova Scotia on February 17, 1920, He was the son of Rev. Archibald Stanford and Gertrude (Myers) Stanford, the oldest of their 9 children. He was educated in “red schoolhouses all over PEI” until he went to Eastern Nazarene College at age 16 to finish High School, he was “born of the Spirit” while there in 1937 and went on graduate from ENC, class of 1944. After graduation he was offered a scholarship at Harvard Divinity School, but chose instead to pastor a small church in PEI. Ordained in the Church of the Nazarene in 1948, he pastored in Framingham, MA; Trenton, NS, and Montreal, Quebec where he met and married Phyllis Alexander (RN) in 1952. As Pastor, Pianist, Choir director, VBS director, Sunday School teacher, they made a talented, unified team. He adored her all his days, and she got the last smile of his life. They had three children; Geoffrey Stanford (born Montreal, deceased 2002 amid great sorrow for the family), Lianne Carbone of Falmouth, MA, and Connie Stanford of Prescott, Arizona.

They also pastored in London, Ontario; Flushing, NY, Edison, NJ; Bath, Maine; Toronto, Ontario; and Cape Elizabeth, ME. He did graduate work at McGill University and The Biblical Seminary in NY City. He drove a school bus for a time in Edison, NJ and served as Chaplain in Flushing, NY and Interim Chaplain at Maine Medical Center. He was Youth Camp Director, and Phyllis Camp Nurse, while they pastored on the New York and Maine districts. He volunteered with Ingraham Volunteers in Portland, ME and rode a bike around Cape Elizabeth for 15 years. He loved gardening in Cape Elizabeth and Freeport, ME, where they lived just after ‘retirement’. He loved growing parsnips the most. These are only a few of the many things he did over the years with only one desire from his labors: that others would see Christ in him and find God. In his words, at the same time… “His family was his Joy”.

When his health started to fail, he and Phyllis made the move from South Portland, ME to Falmouth, MA in April of 2014 to be near their daughter Lianne and family. Sister Irva and daughter Connie visited often and were now able to visit everyone at once.

He found continuing pleasure in the kindness of the Christian family and the fellowship of the unfailing love of God in Jesus Christ his Lord.

He is also survived by three grandchildren; Andrew, of Brooklyn, NY, Gabriela and Alexander Carbone of Falmouth, MA; sisters Vera Coggsburn of Ohio and Irva Stanford of Wollaston, MA ; brother Dr. Warner Stanford of Brookville Florida, and son in law Steven Carbone.

A Memorial Service will take place on April 23, 2016 at 2:00 PM, at the Cape Elizabeth Church of the Nazarene, Cape Elizabeth, Maine. He will be buried at Riverside Cemetery in Cape Elizabeth later that day, next to his Son Geoff. Arrangements by Hobbs Funeral Home, South Portland.