Samolis, William (Sam). Sam passed away after a years-long battle with cancer on October 5, 2020. He is remembered for his artistic talent, his ironic sense of humor, and his loyalty to Saint Joe's. Bill served in the U.S. Air Force, where he may have picked up the nickname Sam, which he preferred in his later years.

I walked to school with Sam nearly every day, rain or shine, for the four years we attended Saint Joe's. He was enthusiastic about our sports teams and was a very good cartoonist, although I don't believe he made a living at it. You can see some of his work on the gallery page devoted to our 'Norseman' school paper. -Dave Pfriem

Here are some thoughts from a mutual friend of Bill's and our classmate John Murray. They are from Paul Kostansek, who has remained a friend and stayed in touch since our days at Saint Joe's:

'I found your email on a message from you to David Pfriem about the passing of
Bill Samolis.  This is very sad news even though you said that he had been suffering
for a long time.  I have many fond memories of the times that Bill and you and I
spent playing ping pong in his basement or traveling to bars and restaurants in
Cleveland while we were in college.  Bill's dad, Frank, interviewed me and
helped place me in an apprentice meat cutter's position with A&P.  That job
was my means of paying for college at John Carroll.

Every time that I talk about why I chose John Carroll, I recall that you drove
right past our house on Nicholas and picked me up for school on a regular
basis.  Your choice of schools and strong recommendation convinced me to
go to JCU.  My life was forever changed as I received an outstanding education
and was able to form a strong base that helped me spend 50 years in education
until my retirement.  I thank you for your tremendous guidance.

Many years have passed since we were friends.  I hope that we might have
a chance to share life experiences and start to keep in touch.  David has kept
in touch with the St. Joe's alumni over the years and he and I get together
once or twice per year.  As a Euclid grad, I am still an outsider but I do know
many of the other grads.'

Posted By: Administrator - 10-08-2020
Views: 1424