Carlos

Hi there, I have some memories of Sam. Sadly, we didn’t get close at all in recent years, but I do have memories years ago when we both went to elementary school together. When I first started going to Parkmead, I was the new kid so I didn’t have any friends, and I’d always be the first one to school before it started so I’d end up sitting alone waiting for class to start. It was cold and lonely, until Sam came. He was one of the only other early kids who was around and he would come up to me. I was scared at first because I didn’t know him and he didn’t know me, but he didn’t care and acted like we knew each other and were good friends from the start. Every time we were the first kids at school, he’d always keep me company and I got to see his fun creative personality. I thought it was so cool I finally had a friend, especially one that was a grade above me, because I used to be intimidated by older kids. I remember him sharing his ACDC album with me, playing tag, and him picking up the biggest tree branch and claiming he was the god of thunder. There was one time I was all alone and just pissed off that I had to be at school so early, so I would sit alone with my hood covering my entire face in a depressing position. There was a group of kids that Sam was with who thought I was some creepy ghost looking kid, but Sam was the brave one out of all of them who came up to me to check who I was and when we recognized each other I wasn’t pissed anymore and was instantly happy because he hung out and talked with me for the rest of the morning. His confidence really helped me come out of my shell to make new friends and not be scared of being the new kid. He still remembered me after a few years seeing each other, which really meant a lot to me. I’m really sorry for your family’s loss and I hope this lets you know how much of a good and unique person Sam is.