Commentary

In Memoriam: Thank you for your service, Tim Sanford

Tim Sanford, who recently passed away, was not only an industry journalist but a true industry historian.

Image: Adobe Stock.

April 5, 2023 by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Tim Sanford

Tim Sanford, the long-time editor of Vending Times, passed away from natural causes recently. To those of us who knew him, he will certainly be missed.

Tim, who was 81, was a unique individual who possessed an immense passion for the vending industry and relished sharing his extensive knowledge. His mild manner made him approachable to everyone.

Tim served Vending Times from 1967 to 2019, retiring as editor in chief when Networld Media Group acquired the publication.

In retirement, he continued to write an occasional blog for Vending Times. His last contribution, on the revival of the historic Automat in the wake of COVID-19, ran in November 2020.

A journalist and a historian

Tim was not only an industry journalist but a true industry historian.

His last blog was typical of the depth he gave every subject he wrote about. He goes into extensive detail on the history of the Automat, the technology, the cuisine, the social and economic factors that fostered its growth and eventual demise, the recent startups influenced by and emulating the Automat, and his summation of their prospects for success.

When I became editor of a competing vending industry publication in 1993, Tim was already a well-established industry expert. It was challenging to go up against someone so well-established, but being the gentleman that he was, Tim never sought to overshadow me at industry events. His passion was talking about the industry with anyone who shared his interest.

Tim could talk for hours on end about any aspect of vending and refreshment services. He knew the histories of the companies (both on the operator and supplier side), the workings of the equipment, the evolution of vending and coffee preparation technology and the backgrounds of the industry leaders.

An industry mentor

Alicia Lavay, brand director at Vending Times, was among many of Tim's mentees, beginning in the mid-1980s while she was a college journalism student.

Alicia Lavay was among Tim Sanford's many mentees at Vending Times.

"He was a true historian and loved the industry, and the industry adored him," she wrote on LinkedIn. "Tim was a fixture at every trade show for more than six decades, receiving numerous awards for exemplary journalism, and always with a camera and extra lenses strewn from his neck.

"But he was also well-versed on so many topics from economics and electronics to world history, geopolitics, airships and felines. I would often quip, 'If you asked Tim what time it was, he would tell you how to build a clock.'"

In 2016, Tim was inducted into the National Automatic Merchandising Association's Coffee Services Hall of Fame. NAMA's antecedent office refreshment associations also recognized his contributions to the office coffee service sector. He was inducted into the National Beverage and Products Association's Hall of Fame and received the National Coffee Service Association's Gino Braschi Award for Journalism.

In reflecting on his contributions, I can't help but wonder if what we now call the convenience services industry will ever again have another journalist/historian with such depth of analytical insight as Tim.

On behalf of the industry, Tim, thank you for your service.

Photos: Vending Times.