Surrounded by loving family, John Edward Sams passed away from complications of Parkinson's Disease peacefully in his home on January 11, 2019. John was born on August 9, 1940, in Chillicothe, Ohio, and was raised in Denver, Colorado. While attending high school, he met his beautiful wife Dorothy (Dot). They were married in 1959. During their 59½-year marriage, they raised three daughters (Julie Gall of Canon City, Colorado, Jenny Davis and Jody Larson of Lompoc, California) and their surrogate daughter, niece (Toni Salgado of Paso Robles, California). John will be forever remembered as a loving and dedicated Husband, Father, Uncle, Grandfather (Baba) to 9 and Great Grandfather to 7.  He spent many years coaching and attending events in support of his grandchildren.

John worked in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, retiring as an Associate Warden after 22 years of exemplary service. He went on to work for a short time in the Santa Barbara County Social Services before becoming the very first Inmate Services Director for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, where he expanded the inmate education and commissary programs and developed the Inmate Industry and Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program before retiring in 1999.

John was an active community member and volunteer. He was a loyal and dedicated member of the Lompoc Elks as well as serving on the Board of Directors for his Homeowners' Association. He also enjoyed making wine, tending to his fruit trees and feeding the humming birds that were fond of him as he was of them. He will be much missed by all who knew him including his beloved dog Pepper.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests charitable contributions in memory of John Sams be made to Brain Support Network, www.brainsupportnetwork.org, POB 7264, Menlo Park, CA 94026.