A Memorial Bench Honoring Their Legacy

Jules Rosenthal Sandford (1928-2007) and Betty Zelkowitz Sandford (1927-2021)

 

Betty and Jules Sandford were dedicated Monrovians who invested their considerable time, resources, and influence in improving the lives of Monrovians and the city they loved.

 

They helped start or build most of Monrovia’s community organizations, many of which exist today. Betty served on the Boards of Santa Anita Family Service, the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce, Monrovia League, Foothill Unity Center, Arcadia Branch of AAUW, the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, HOY (Help Our Youth), Social Model Recovery Systems, the Monrovia Community Services Commission, the United Nations (UNA-USA) Nation Board and local chapter. She served on the Monrovia School Board, promoting racial justice. She did national and international foreign policy work with UNICEF and was president of the local League of Women Voters. She was a founder of Monrovia Reads. She led the 1987 Monrovia Centennial Committee – a 3-year effort that resulted in the Monrovia Historical Museum and the Volunteer Center. “In her 90s she started a new organization — Monrovia ChangeMakers — to combat bigotry."

 

Jules was a partner of the law firm Patten, Faith, and Sandford, which did much of the pro-bono work in Monrovia. He served on the Board of directors for the Foothill Unity Center, Santa Anita Family Service, Monrovia Community Chest/United Way, Foothill Jewish Temple Center, Monrovia Junior Chamber of Commerce, Monrovia Day Association, United Nations Association, Boys & Girls Club, and Monrovia Board of Realtors.

 

Betty lived nearly all of her 90+ years in Monrovia. Her parents, Jack and Marian Zelkowitz, owned the shoe store at Lemon and Myrtle until Jack established a real estate business that would eventually own many downtown Monrovia properties.

 

Betty and Jules were a powerful team. They envisioned and recruited the slate of Bob Bartlett, Eric Faith, and Pat Ostrye (the first Black, first woman, and first youth) to serve on the City Council, who in turn brought about the city’s renaissance in the 1970s. Betty lead Bob Bartlett’s successful campaign for mayor. 

 

Betty and Jules Sandford were parents of Randy, Leslie, and Kevin Sandford, grandparents of Sarah, Rebecca, Alicia, and Mia, and grandparents of Molly, Mason, and Merrin, and great grandparents of Zoe, Jules, Isaac, Daniel, and David.

 

It is hard to overstate the value of their mark on Monrovia.