Sam
Last month, the world lost one of its gentlest souls, Sam Wilson.
I met Sam a decade ago when I needed a finishing carpenter to rebuild a cabinet. Since then he has tackled all forms of tasks around my home, and with each visit brought a positive life view. I don’t know much about his untimely passing, and little about his past, but I do know that his original passion was playing the drums, and in the 80’s, his band gained local success in his home state of Texas. Sam was also pursuing an acting career, and was recently cast in some commercials.
For me, Sam’s tour de force was the completion of my Cigar Closet. To this day, my cigars are in perfect conditioning due to his exacting carpentry skills, and attention to detail. He put his heart and soul into everything he did, and his outlook was always positive, regardless of his life challenges.
He will be missed by me, my family, and all the others with whom his path had crossed.
Sam plying his craft
Thank you for paying tribute to Sam. As you say, a gentler soul never lived on this earth. Wishing him Godspeed , hoping he knows how much he will always be in my heart.
We will miss Sam too and think of him when we look at the handywork he did around our house. What a wonderful tribute. The photos really capture who he was.
Thank you for posting this wonderful tribute to my Brother in-law Sammy. You all may have not known that Sam’s father passed away in June of 2012. Lorraine and I got him to Texas and he was grateful to have been here for his passing. We moved his Mom Anita to Austin so we could get her 24hr care near our house. Sammy came back to Dallas to help us prepare the family home for sale and did his usual happy-go-lucky tasks in getting the prep work done. He never complained about oil based painting of the outside building, a difficult job. Sam had a good relationship with both me and his sister Lorraine, and his passing was totally unexpected.
Now our family is faced with me having AML Leukemia again. This is a life threatening disease, and our attention is on my treatment. I have had 13 years sinse my a bone marrow transplant that we thought was cured. Please understand if we do not answer emails quickly.
I loved Sam (AKA Samson Walker) very much.and I am sending you my post from the Hospital where I have been for 32 days. RIP my brother … RIP.
I only met Sam a few months ago. He was so sweet, honest and joyous about what ever it was he was doing. For me it was just odds and ends but he was repairing a stopper in my bathroom sink and I mentioned that I had lost an earring down it 2 months before, I didn’t think it possible it would still be there. A half hour later her came into the kitchen, beaming from ear to ear holding the earring and asking if her could clean it up for me. Every time I wear them I think of him and smile.
I was getting ready to call him about redoing my kitchen cabinets when I heard the sad news of his passing. I send my prayers up for him and his family and friends and I will miss him.
Thanks for the great photos of him and thanks to your wife for sharing him with me.