<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Many of you knew Sam and I'm passing this on to you.<div><br></div><div>Ron Van Putte</div><div><br></div><div><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 759.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px"> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="middle" style="width: 1.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px 0.0px 5.0px"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; min-height: 15px; "><br></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">It is with great sorrow I report to you a dear and old friend since I was 15 years old has passed away. It is my understanding that Sam passed away in Tennessee with his older half brother at his side September 8th 2011 at a local hospice at age 62. I have been trying to track Sam down for the last year and stumbled upon his younger brothers web site. Ronnie gave me his phone number and I tried a few times leaving messages for Sam and he never returned the calls, he was very sick. Ronnie mentioned that Sam had had a VERY rough time the last three years. It seems he got married then divorced, his house went into foreclosure and had complete kidney failure. I surmise knowing Sam (Rai as the ones very close to him and I knew him) his health was the issue that caused this series of unfortunate events. It is also my understanding he was awaiting a kidney transplant and did not make it in time. Ronnie also mentioned his remains were cremated.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">When I was about 15 years old I had been involved in r/c for about 2 years and was having a tough time with success in the hobby with no locale guidance. Sam and his family moved in across the street from me in Pembroke Pines Florida from Pensacola Florida when I was about 15 years old (1968). Sam was going to FSU and was about 19 years old. He of course was flying R/C also with some success using tube radio systems. Obviously we hit it off as friends rite away. His dad (Herschel) was the new Chief Controller at North Perry Airport in the heyday of student flight training which I was also doing. My dad was also a pilot so we all had a lot in common.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">In my heart I feel that Sam deserved an ending so much better than this. He has gone through many years of personal suffering that many of his friends in the R/C world never knew. I have always thought of him almost every day of my life and what kind of good kind person he was and the deep friendship bond we had when we were youngsters in a cow pasture flying models.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Sincerely,</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Mark Anton</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">(386) 205-6027</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Lake City, Florida</font></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table></div></body></html>