David Sanderson, Birch Rock Camp’s next-door neighbor, passed away in November in an accident while taking down a dead tree. He had lived full-time at the family farm since retiring in the early 2000s. His grandfather, Burton Sanderson, sold the land that became Birch Rock Camp to Chief and Onie Brewster in 1926. The Sanderson family continues to generously lease their pasture to Birch Rock for use as the camp’s western playing field.
David was a proud New Englander with Swedish roots and a deep interest in Maine history. Raised in Rhode Island, he met his late wife Cathy at Indiana University. They later settled in Newburyport, Massachusetts, where they raised their son, Stephen. Steve and his wife Betsy went on to found RiverWalk Brewery in his hometown.
Over the years, David held a variety of jobs, working in marketing, lobbying for the recreational vehicle industry, managing the New England Trail Riders Association, co-founding a software startup, and eventually becoming an Oracle database developer.
He was a passionate musician who played guitar, banjo, and fiddle, and had a lifelong love for preserving the house and barn his ancestors built in the 1860s.
Seth Brewster, Chair of the Birch Rock Board of Trustees, shared: “The relationship between David’s family and Camp started almost a century ago, between Chief and Onie Brewster and David’s grandfather. David was a loyal neighbor and former member of our Board of Trustees. We are tremendously grateful for his contributions to Camp.”
