34 SEPTEMBER 2026 WorldWide Drilling Resource® In Memoriam Thomas “Denny” Sanford (1935~2026) Philanthropist Thomas “Denny” Sanford of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, passed away peacefully on July 18, 2026, at the age of 90. Born in 1935, in St. Paul, Minnesota, Denny lost his mother to breast cancer when he was four, and began working at his father’s garment shop at the age of eight. These early years instilled in him a desire to help others - a commitment lasting throughout his life. After graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1958 with a degree in psychology, Denny began a successful career in sales, marketing, and materials distribution. His experiences led him to establish Contech, Inc., a Minneapolis-based company that manufactured sealants, coatings, and adhesives. After selling the company, Denny purchased a bank in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in 1986. He renamed it First PREMIER Bank and expanded into the credit card sector with PREMIER Bankcard. Today, PREMIER is considered one of the nation’s strongest financial organizations, which allowed Denny to focus on philanthropic endeavors in his later years - impacting millions of lives and transforming the landscape of South Dakota and beyond. In 2004, after the closure of the Homestake Gold Mine, the state legislature created the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority to secure the site as a viable location for future science. The leadership of then Governor Mike Rounds, alongside T. Denny Sanford’s $70 million gift, helped solidify the site selection and proved critical in the creation of the world-class laboratory, Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), which is flourishing in the Black Hills. Ongoing research at SURF will continue well into the 2050s, and likely into the next century. Denny believed in what is possible and his legacy will live on through his extraordinary philanthropy and vision to transform health care, education, scientific research, and communities across South Dakota and around the world. Known for his humility and compassion for others, Denny chose to live a life of significance by inspiring others to join in his philanthropic giving. He lived by the motto: “Aspire to inspire before you expire.” Denny was also devoted to his family and friends, with whom he pursued his other pastimes, including golf and sailing. Left to cherish his memory are his brother Charles (Nancy); sons Scott (Rada) and Bill (Andrea); and three grandchildren. Travis Lynn Russell (1953~2026) The Texas Groundwater Association (TGWA) shared the loss of Travis Lynn Russell of Nacogdoches, Texas, on July 19, 2026. Travis and his brother Roger started Russell Drilling Co., Inc. in 1979, building it from the ground up through hard work, determination, and a commitment to serving others. Together, they helped establish a company that has faithfully served across Texas for more than four decades. Travis received TGWA’s Owen F. Jensen Contractor of the Year Award in 1998, and was awarded Life Membership in 2022. Although retired in 2020, Travis’s servant heart never did. He continued to help longtime customers whenever he had the opportunity and remained deeply invested in the people and communities he cared about. His passion for service extended far beyond the drilling industry, leading him on numerous mission trips around the world to help provide clean and safe water to those in need. Outside of drilling, Travis was an adventurer who loved traveling, spending time with his family, and, most importantly, praising the Lord. He was a good and God-fearing man whose kindness, generosity, and faith left a lasting impact on everyone who knew him. Travis will be greatly missed by everyone at Russell Drilling, by his family, and by the countless people whose lives he touched throughout the years. The management and staff of WWDR extend their sympathies to Denny’s and Travis’s family and friends. Lest we forget . . . Always looking for practical ways to make installations easier, faster, and more reliable, A.Y. McDonald introduced a new Cert-In Male Adapter with Integrated Insert Stiffener. It is designed to streamline plastic service line connections while delivering dependable compression performance. Insert stiffeners are required on all flexible plastic connections; using a separate component can add time to the job and is sometimes overlooked. By building the insert stiffener directly into the fitting body, this new male adapter helps eliminate the risk of forgetting a stiffener while simplifying the overall connection process. The result is a more efficient install and greater confidence the connection has been made properly. The Cert-In Male Adapter includes large wrench flats for proper installation and is available in both 3/4-inch and 1-inch sizes.
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