David Sande, an oral surgeon who practiced in Grand Forks for 35 years until his retirement in 2005, died Friday after suffering a massive stroke at his winter home in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 68 and had been recovering from surgery for pancreatic cancer.
The surgery in October had gone well, his wife said.
“He was putting on weight and he sounded happy, positive and well,” Ann Sande said Saturday as she prepared to return to Grand Forks.
“I’ve heard from so many people today,” she said. “At least five of them told me that David was their best friend.”
That included son Hans Sande. “I’ve lost my best friend,” he said. “I’ll miss him forever.”
Son Dana Sande said he will miss his father’s example, advice and wit.
“I could sum up my dad pretty simply by saying he liked to lead by example,” Dana Sande said. “He believed you should help people who can’t help themselves, and he helped people in any way he could.
“He spent a lot of time with Hans and me talking about morals and what’s right. We didn’t always follow through, but I will try to live up to the expectations he had for himself and for us.”
Few oral surgeons were practicing in North Dakota when David Sande opened his office in Grand Forks in 1970.
He was born in Thief River Falls and grew up in Grand Forks, where his father, the late Clarence Sande, was a founding partner of Agsco.
After graduating from UND, David attended Harvard University’s dental school and trained in oral surgery for three years at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City.
While practicing in Grand Forks, he held offices in regional and state dental associations.
He and Ann met on a blind date while he was at Harvard and she, a graduate of Smith College, was working in Boston. Friends of their sons looked forward to the “New England boiled dinners” they often served at their Belmont Road home.
At the time of his retirement, “Doc” Sande told the Herald that he had hundreds of books he hadn’t read yet, many hundreds of crossword puzzles to complete and many rounds of golf to play.
He tackled two, three, sometimes 10 crossword puzzles a day — the harder, the better.
“If I owned stock in the New York Times crossword puzzle, I’d sell today,” Dana Sande said.
In addition to his wife and sons, David Sande is survived by a brother, Steven, of Scottsdale, Ariz.; a sister, Karen, of Round Rock, Texas, and three grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents — Clarence died in 1991, Stella in 2006 at the age of 92 — and a brother, Curtis, a physician who practiced in Larimore and Northwood, N.D., and in Idaho.
Amundson Funeral Home, Grand Forks, is handling arrangements, which are incomplete.
OBITUARY IN GRAND FORKS HERALD
David Lewis Sande, D.M.D. of Grand Forks ND died of a stroke on Friday, December 31, 2010, at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn.
David was born April 17, 1942, in Thief River Falls MN, son of Clarence Willard (CW) and Stella Mae (Vevea) Sande. After moving to Grand Forks in 1943, he attended Roosevelt Elementary and South Junior High Schools and graduated from Central High School in 1960. After three years at the University of North Dakota, he attended the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, graduating in 1967. After completing an oral surgery residency at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City in 1970 he returned to Grand Forks to become the second practicing oral surgeon in the state. He retired on his 63rd birthday, April 17, 2005. Dr. Sande married Ann Elizabeth Hirst in Providence RI on August 28, 1965.
David thoroughly enjoyed playing golf, and made an effort to play at least 4 times a week. A highlight of his golfing career came after the 1997 flood, when he made a point of playing at least one hole every month from April, 1997, through December, 1998, with the exception of January. He entertained himself with crossword puzzles, amassing a four-foot high collection of completed books. He also loved entertaining his friends at his home in Grand Forks, making cheesecakes, spending time in Arizona, and being with his grandchildren, whom he loved dearly.
He is survived by his wife, Ann, sons Hans and his wife Kristine, Dana and his wife Meggen, and grandchildren Stella, Clarkson and Curtis; brother Stephen and his wife Susan of Scottsdale, AZ, and sister Karen of Round Rock TX.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Curtis.
**In lieu of flowers, memorial may be directed to David L. Sande Memorial Scholarship Fund c/o Grand Forks Foundation for Education.
MEMORIAL SERVICES: 7:00 p.m., Thursday, January 6, 2011, at the Empire Arts Center in Grand Forks.
A guestbook may be signed at www.amundsonfuneralhome.com
Larry Burke
I was really shocked to hear about Dave. We had made contact about 20 years when both of our children were participating in the Junior National Curling Championships, so say him and Ann for several years after that. We had planned to get together this winter in Arizona and golf.
Larry and Ann Burke
Stanley Johannes
Ann , boys and families, Just want to say that I was deeply sadened to learn of Daves passing. Just another good reason why we(my wife and I) were so glad that we attened the GF Central 50 year high school class reunion this past year. When I think of Dave I think of all the great times we had playing tackle football in the snow down in Lincoln Park after the Vikings Game. We would then head over to Daves parents house nursing our many injuries to warm up with a cup of hot chocolate. Great times and memories. Something else I remember about Dave was that look he would give you ( you know what I mean but can't really describe) when he would first see you. He always made me wonder what he was thinking?
Please accept our deepest sympathies Ann. Dave was certainly one of Centrals Class of 60 greats!
Mary Jean and Stan Johannes