Bodie Felton Sandling Jr., 80, of Greensboro, Georgia, passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, on February 10, 2026, after a courageous battle with cancer.
Felton was born on September 6, 1945, in Durham, North Carolina, to Bodie Felton Sandling Sr. and Dorothy Clements Pollard. The oldest of four, he was a happy and mischievous kid who took great pride in loving and nurturing – and occasionally picking on – his younger siblings, and making his family laugh uproariously.
After graduating from Southwest DeKalb High School in Atlanta, Georgia,, in 1963, he spent a year at the University of Georgia, majoring in “good times” (his words), before receiving the call to serve his country and joining the United States Marine Corps.
In December 1966, Felton was deployed to Vietnam with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines. While in country, he served as a member of a front-line tactical air control party (TACP), calling in close air support for U.S. ground forces. The immense impact of his 13 months in Vietnam on the whole of his life can’t be understated. While he didn’t discuss much of what he saw and experienced in Vietnam, it laid the foundation for the man we all knew and loved so deeply: Dependable, present, honorable, empathetic, altruistic, loving, hilarious, and deeply loyal. He lived by the Marine Corps motto, Semper Fidelis, throughout his life.
Upon his return from Vietnam, Felton began working at Georgia Power Company as a dispatcher, earned his electrical license, and worked his way up to trouble coordinator. If your power went out in the 70s, 80s, or 90s in the Atlanta area, Felton was likely instrumental in restoring power.
In 1998, he retired from the power company and went to work full-time installing sports lighting at ball fields across the Southeast. His time in the military, experience as an electrician, and natural intellect made him an innovative creator and craftsman.
Give him some power tools, a few pieces of wood, crossarm braces, and a handful of screws, and he could literally build anything.
His ability to recall roads, waterways, and tiny country hollers made him a keen navigator. That said, some of his famous “shortcuts” ended up being longer than the well-worn path. Even so, we’d miraculously happen upon some hole-in-the-wall joint that he ate at decades before, that was still serving delicious food. That extra time with him became a core memory.
Above all else, Felton loved being a husband to Sandra, a father to Andrea, Amanda, Davis, Alan, and Alyson, a grandfather to Eli, Samantha, and Jackson, and a loving caretaker to a gaggle of mostly well-behaved Weimaraners.
He is irreplaceable and left an indelible mark on the lives of everyone who had the honor of knowing him.
Felton may be gone, but his memory sparkles in the reflection of the sun on the waters of the Tivoli River, the dew on grass in Franklin County, North Carolina, and in the hearts of all who loved him.
Felton was preceded in death by his mother Dorothy Clements Pollard, father Bodie Felton Sandling Sr., bonus dad Charles Alfred Pollard, and brother Charles Randall Pollard. He is survived by his wife Sandra, daughter Andrea (Shane) McElwaney of Buford, Georgia; daughter Amanda (Jill) Sandling of Fairview, North Carolina; son Davis (Kathryn) Sandling of Atlanta, Georgia; bonus son Alan (Alasdair) Raymond of Huntsville, Alabama; bonus daughter Alyson Parker of Woodstock, Georgia; grandchildren Eli McElwaney of Boston, Massachusetts; Samantha Parker of Greensboro, Georgia; and Jackson Parker of Woodstock, Georgia; sisters Cheryl Mauney of Loganville, Georgia and Mary Whitehead of Monroe, Georgia and siblingin- law A.D. Hill of Blue Ridge, GeorgiaMany loving nieces, nephews, and cousins also survive himins.
A celebration of life will be held at Lake Oconee Church (1101 Village Park Drive, Greensboro, GA 30642) on March 15th at 2:30 p.m. with a visitation to follow. Please dress casually, it’s what Felton would have wanted.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to the Lake Oconee Human Society. Donations in his memory can be made online at lohspets.org/donate or by mail.