Harold Thaddeus Sansing

On Thursday, August 19, 2021, Harold Thaddeus Sansing, loving father of two children, passed away at age 86.

Harold was born on April 3, 1935 in Bristow, OK to Troy and Georgia Sansing. After joining the Army National Guard in 1954 he served as active duty and became the Coach of the XVIII Airborne Corps Rifle Team before his discharge in 1958.  He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Middle Tennessee State University and upon graduation was employed by the Tennessee Division of Stream Pollution Control as an Aquatic Biologist.  He attended Graduate School at Vanderbilt University in the School of Engineering, Environmental and Water Resources Engineering with concentrated studies in Limnology, Biochemistry Epidemiology and Polluted Environments to name a few.  While attending grad school he became employed by the Nashville District, Ohio River Division of the US Army Corps of Engineers from 1970 till his retirement in 1998 as the Chief of Water Quality.  On October 12, 1956 he married Peggy Eugenia Joss while stationed at Ft. Bragg. They later returned to Peggy’s hometown, Murfreesboro, Tennessee where they built a home and raised a son, Trent, and a daughter, Lori.

Harold’s love for photography began while serving as Military Police in Tokyo, Japan and all that knew or met him were required to stand for a portrait.  His interest in hunting, as well as his eye for detail and creative mind, lead him to craft hand-made flintlock rifles.  He passed on his love for the outdoors to his children while taking his family on many camping trips throughout the southeast to compete in marksmanship contests and muzzle loading gun meets. He also served as Captain of the Tennessee Volunteer Long Rifle Team during this time.  He picked up a passion for golf and letter writing upon his retirement and move to Rainbow Springs Golf and Country Club Estates in Dunnellon, Florida in 1998.  He wrote letters as an Environmental Activist which were published in the St. Petersburg Times, Ocala Star Banner and The Citrus County Chronicle.  Always eager to make a difference in environmental causes he spoke to the Sierra Club at the University of Florida about the effects of man-made lakes and appeared as a witness to the impacts of the Cross Florida Barge Canal and the Rodman Reservoir on the Ocklawaha River, Silver River and Silver Springs in Ocala, FL.

Harold was preceded in death by his father, Troy Sansing, his mother, Georgia Bell Sansing White, his sister, Roberta Sansing Lasseter and his wife, Peggy Eugenia Joss Sansing. He is survived by his son, Trent (Michelle) Sansing, daughter, Lori Sansing, granddaughter, Samantha Sansing and nieces Jeanine Lasseter and Layte Lasseter Fann. In lieu of a funeral service or celebration of life at this time a donation in Harold’s name to any Society dedicated to the Conservation of the Earth and its many beloved animals would be appreciated.  It was Harold’s wish to have his and Peggy’s remains be laid to rest together in the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, FL which his family will attend to at a later date.

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