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Dr. Sanford M. Markham
Dr. Sanford M. Markham, formerly of Southampton, died on July 25, 2019, in Coral Gables, Florida. He was 84.
Dr. Markham was born on October 1, 1934, in Pittsburg, Kansas. He graduated from Pittsburg High School, serving as the senior class president, and the University of Kansas, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He graduated from the University of Kansas Medical School, and completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at The New York Hospital.
Dr. Markham began his medical practice in the U. S. Air Force as a flight surgeon, and later as an obstetrician and gynecologist, retiring as a colonel.
He served as the state surgeon in the New York Air National Guard, track physician for the Indianapolis 500, medical director for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, and NASA parabolic flight tester of an operating containment chamber designed for use in space.
He was in private practice in obstetrics and gynecology for several years in Southampton and Baltimore.
Inspired by meetings with Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards, pioneers in the field of in vitro fertilization, he developed a specialty in reproductive endocrinology, completing a fellowship at Johns Hopkins University and publishing numerous articles and research in this area.
Dr. Markham was passionate about developing the next generation of doctors, and transitioned to academic medicine later in his career, serving on the faculty at Georgetown University Medical School in Washington, D.C ., and the University of Iowa Medical School in Iowa City, Iowa.
He settled in Miami in 2007 to help start and gain accreditation for the medical school at Florida International University, and served as the first dean of student affairs from 2007 to 2016. He had a career-long dedication to women’s health and advocated for women in medicine.
Dr. Markham was a devoted husband and father. He is survived by Ruth, his wife of nearly 62 years; his daughter and son-in-law, Liz and Morgan McLanahan of Glen Cove; his son and daughter-in-law, Charlie and Colleen Markham of Potomac, Maryland; and his grandchildren, George and Teddy McLanahan and Bea, Hugh and Ned Markham. His eldest son, David Markham, predeceased him.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, August 23, at 11 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Dune Church in Southampton.
Staff Writer on Aug 2, 2019