I had the pleasure to spend time with Sam on numerous occasions. Words fail to express the man's talent or largess, so great were both. He honored all of us by his example of woodworking. I'll never forget the first visit to his shop, where he pushed a 3-1/2" x 2" hunk of walnut through his bandsaw on its edge, undulating slightly from side to side, to cut out an armrest for one of his signature rockers. He commented with a grin, "Don't try this at home!" I'll also never forget the last time our paths crossed serendipitously at a woodworking show in Anaheim. He saw me coming down the escalator, shouted out my name in greeting, and then invited me (and my group) to his house later for coffee and ice cream. Four hours of swapping woodworking stories later and we sleepily escaped his unending hospitality. He joins his beloved Freida, an artist in her own right.
Peace my friend, you have left the world a better place with your presence here.