Calvin Sanford Huffaker Sr., known as Sandy, a highly-acclaimed political satirist and painter, passed away peacefully at his home in Raphine, Va.
Sandy was born September 23, 1943 in Chattanooga, to Katherine F. and Hugh Dayton Huffaker. Sandy had two brothers, Hugh Huffaker Jr. (deceased) and Robert F. Huffaker. He attended The McCallie School, received a BA from the University of Alabama and then furthered his artistic skills at the Art Students League in New York City.
Huffaker was a highly acclaimed political cartoonist who started his career with The Birmingham News and the Raleigh News and Observer. He later moved to New York City and illustrated covers and articles for such publications such as Time Magazine, The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Businessweek, People and Fortune Magazine. Some of the accolades awarded for his artwork include two Page-One Awards from the New York Newspaper Guild, three nominations for Cartoonist-of-the-Year by the National Cartoonists Society, A Desi Award of Excellence (Graphic Design Magazine), 20 Award Of Merit citations from the Society of Illustrators, and was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for illustration.
Sandy Huffaker’s political cartooning years spanned the exciting years of the 1960s, through the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, and current events from the Nixon administration up through the Trump administration, always bringing his own original stamp of wit, truth, and humor.
Mr. Huffaker is survived by his daughter, Susan S. Huffaker and son, Calvin Sanford Huffaker, Jr. and his three loving grandchildren: Shelby, 24, Haley, 20 and Dayton, 18, Huffaker. He spent his last 17 years in Raphine, Va., painting and drawing all the while in the Shenandoah Valley where he fell in love with the landscape and people of the area.
A private graveside service will be held at Forest Hills Cemetery at a later date.