RIP Sammy

I received a phone call on this a.m. from our friend, Peggy...her husband, Sammy, passed away during the night.  I've posted before on Peggy and Sammy  and my heart breaks for Peg and her daughters.

Dinner out with Peg and Sammy 2017 at Pavarotti's.

 We met Sammy and Peggy through mutual friends, Tony and Carol back in 2003 on one of  our first winters in  Ocala. 

Sammy, Tony and Bob 

Since then, we would go to dinner with Peg and Sammy  throughout our winter south.   We would also always spend a night out to celebrate my birthday every January. 

My 2010 Birthday celebration back to the house for  cake with Mandy!  

  But this past winter, Sammy wasn't doing very well health-wise, so our times were limited to just visiting at their house.  Sammy would sit outside, enjoying the beautiful Florida weather and was always just so sweet to talk with.  As Bob has said  many times "Sammy knows a lot about everything!"  And that he did.   I'm glad Bob and I had a few more times to talk with him last winter and to have known him all these years.

Sammy would sell his carved birds and ducks along with Peggy selling her wonderful paintings.  They are both such talented folks!  

Artists in 2013 - Sammy was a good  worker bee for Peggy too!

Sammy was so talented...he carved beautiful birds and ducks.  You can see some more of his work here.

Sammy was working on this woodpecker in March of this year.

Bob and I were lucky enough to be given one of Sammy's hand carved birds a few years ago!  I love it and look at it daily as it sits in our dining area.

Sammy also loved working on clocks or anything mechanical.  This is an original antique clock Sammy found.  It's a Seth Thomas II from the 1920's.  Sammy took the entire clock apart and cleaned each piece!   

This is a beautiful clock and it's back in working order thanks to Sammy's talents!!!

Living in the Ocala Palms Community, Sammy was active for several years golfing, meeting and talking with folks and being the 'go to guy' for anything that needed to be repaired or fixed.  Sammy would never turn down a request to help others!

One such item that Sammy worked on was a windmill  on the community property that wasn't working.  Sammy just about rebuilt this windmill so it  now works!  

I took these pictures from the Ocala Palms web site.....so they aren't very clear.  But this is the windmill that Sammy repaired!!!!  


I know the community was so appreciative of the work Sammy did on this huge project.  And we will think of him when we see it moving!











I also remember one of the first years we rented in Florida, Sammy came running (literally!) up to our front door hunting for Bob.  I told Sammy that he was golfing....he said "you have to get a hold of him right now!  I found a great deal on a golf cart for him!"...so, I called  the folks at the Pro Shop and asked them to find him on the course!  Well, Bob ended up calling Sammy about 10 minutes later and actually left the golf course (a first for Bob)!  He  headed over to pick up Sammy and purchased the golf cart!  Bob had that same golf cart until 2 years ago.  It was a great cart and almost problem free!  Bob always thanked Sammy for that and we would laugh because Sam didn't want Bob to miss out on a good deal but he knew Bob could miss a few rounds of golf and  it was worth it!

 Sammy was also a good cook...well, being Italian/Sicilian, you wouldn't expect him to not be, right!  Anyway, several years ago, Sammy loaned me a recipe book to look over (Sammy was also an avid reader!).  

I enjoyed the stories and recipes in this book so I ordered one for myself.  Sammy and I laughed because  mine was a newer version and the man who wrote it, a former Mafia crime family member turned FBI informant, actually had his picture on the back cover of my book!  Guess he doesn't think the 'Gambino family'  are looking for him anymore!  Or else he isn't 'around' anymore!


These are just two "Sammy" stories that pop up in my mind.  We will miss Sammy....but we'll remember him until we all meet again!  Rest in peace, my friend.........