BRADFORD - On Feb. 14, 2008, Robert Sanborn Parker slipped "the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God." He was born Dec. 17, 1924, in Manchester, N.H., the son of Clyde Holden Parker and Lucy Sanborn Parker. Bob entered the Army Air Corps in April 1943. After flight training, in March 1945, he was stationed with the Eighth Air Force's 447th Bomb Group, Rattlesden, England. As flight officer, Bob co-piloted the Flying Fortress "Bigass Bird" on 19 heavy bombardment missions over Germany. V-J Day halted the crew's deployment to the Pacific Theater and allowed Bob to enter the University of New Hampshire, from which he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering in 1949. He also received a master's degree in electrical engineering from Newark (N.J.) College of Engineering. His first and only career job started in the summer of 1949 at American District Telegraph Co., New York City, and ended with retirement in 1980. Bob married Muriel Bacheller Schulte, May 17, 1952, in Denville, N.J., and after 32 years in New Jersey, Bob moved with Muriel to Bradford, to be near family and enjoy retirement. Involvement with the Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church, the John B. Curtis Free Public Library, Bradford Heritage, the Bradford Housing Corp., the Bradford Volunteer Fire Department and town affairs, as well as traveling, tending his gladioli and vegetables kept Bob out of mischief. He was a loving father, who was extremely proud of the accomplishments of his children and grandchildren. He will be greatly missed. In addition to his wife, he leaves three sons and their wives, David Sanborn and Candy (Olin) of Manchester, Conn., Donald Collins and Heather (Stanley) of Bradford, and Jeffrey Holden and Susan (Wilkinson) of Bradford. Also surviving are his Canasta teammates and opponents; his devoted grandchildren, Johanna Ruth of Senegal, Africa, Laurel Anne of Brighton, Mass., Christopher Schulte and wife, Nicole, of Billerica, Mass., Jonathan Sanborn of Clearfield, Pa., 2nd Mate Crystal Marie of Bradford, Brian Eaton of Bradford and Michael Stanley of Bradford. Bob also leaves a devoted sister, Audrey and her husband, Wally Crane, of Cambridge, Mass.; two nieces, a nephew, three great-nieces, five great-nephews and seven Sanborn cousins. A celebration of Bob's life will be held 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, at Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church, 828 West Main St., Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426 or The John B. Curtis Free Public Library, 1163 Main Road, Bradford, ME 04410.