Sanford "Sandy" M. Chilcote, Jr.

Sanford "Sandy" M. Chilcote Jr. passed away peacefully after a long illness at the age of 84 on September 22, 2026. A native of Oakmont, he was the only child of the late Sanford M. Chilcote and Mildred Gilmore Chilcote.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, the former Elaine Chapman, a daughter Karen (Husband Daniel Rivetti), and a son Damon (Wife Lisa Fields Chilcote).

A 1960 graduate of Oakmont High School, he earned a B.A. from Allegheny College in 1964, an M.A. from the University of New Hampshire, and a M.L.S. from the University of Pittsburgh.

His career as a Librarian took him to the mission field in Nigeria for two years and to Nepal for three and a half years, where he worked on library collections of the United Mission to Nepal. He also translated material into Nepali for use in the Women's Literacy Program. At that time, in the early 1980's, women's literacy in Nepal was quite low.

He had a great gift for languages, was an accomplished lyric poet, taught himself enough Nepali to arrive in Kathmandu already fluent, to the delight of the U.M.N. language teachers, and taught himself classical Greek in his fifties with minimal help from Elaine. (She tried to recall what she learned studying Greek at Allegheny 30 years earlier, so help was minimal).

He had a deep love of wilderness and of animals. The last 25 years of his career were spent as a Regional Manager for more than 30 public libraries in the beautiful Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. He had learned to play golf as a child and enjoyed the game, but his great love was fishing for trout in the streams of Pennsylvania as a boy. He was delighted to live in Labrador City, surrounded by untouched wilderness, where he could happily walk about 15 miles on the long summer Saturdays, following the Walsh and Ironstone Rivers. He used tiny hooks with flies he had tied himself, and released the trout and arctic char unharmed.

Sandy was the kindest of men, a loving and devoted husband and father, and a loyal friend.

A Funeral Service will be held on Monday, October 5th at 11 AM at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. 378 Delaware Ave. Oakmont, PA. Rev. Canon James Shovcair officiating. Interment of cremated remains at a later date in Oakgrove Christian Church Cemetery, Lawrence County, PA.

Arrangements entrusted to the BURKET-TRUBY FUNERAL HOME CREMATION AND ALTERNATIVE SERVICES, INC., Oakmont.