FARMINGTON – Charles E. Sanborn Jr., 70, of Livermore Falls, passed to Spirit, Tuesday, June 3, after a long battle with heart disease and cancer.

“Sonny” was born the son of Dorothy Gordon Sanborn and Charles E. Sanborn Sr. on Dec. 5, 1937, in Farmington. He grew up in Livermore, and graduated from Livermore Falls High School, Class of 1957, and attended the University of Maine in Orono.

On July 4, 1959, he married Ronnalean Dorey and they made their home in Livermore Falls and raised their three children, Kenneth, Laurie and Michael. He worked for International Paper Co., Otis and Androscoggin Mills in Jay for 22 years and also worked for Bath Iron Works until his retirement.

In his later years, he worked as a short order cook at Pike’s Corner Oasis. He had many hobbies, including stock car racing. In the 1960s, he raced the No. 49 car at Oxford Plains Speedway. He would always follow racing including NASCAR, attending races in Darlington, Las Vegas, and more recently at New Hampshire International Speedway.

He is survived by his wife, Ronnie, of 49 years of East Livermore; three children, Kenneth Sanborn and Laurie Sanborn, both of East Livermore and Michael Sanborn and his wife, Diane, of West Gardiner; three grandchildren, Abbey and Kate Sanborn of Portland and Dana Gower of Livermore Falls; stepmother, Dorothy Sanborn Blakeslee of Lincoln, Calif.; half brothers, Randolph Sanborn and his wife, Joyce, of Rocklin, Calif., Richard Sanborn and his wife, Lauri, of Tacoma, Wash., and Elton “Mickey” Powers of Skowhegan; brother-in-laws and their wives, Kenneth and Liz Dorey of Columbia, S.C., Richard and Sheila Dorey of Winthrop and Dennis and Tina Dorey of Raymond; a sister-in-law and her husband, Patricia and Gerald Samson of Asheville, N.C.; three foster brothers, Barry Hanson of Canton, Garry Hanson of Augusta and Larry Hanson of Turner; a daughter-in-law, Audrey Rowell Sanborn of New Sharon.

The Sanborn family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to Dr. Stacey Hershfeld, as well as the 3rd floor nursing staff at Franklin Memorial Hospital for their excellent care of “Sonny.” Also, a special thanks to Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice.