Sam Metcalf

MEMORIAL SERVICE

Saturday
December 9, 2023
10:00 AM
Schooler Funeral Home Brentwood Chapel
4100 South Georgia
Amarillo, TX 79110

Sam Metcalf, at the age of 67, went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Saturday, November 25, 2023, in Amarillo, Texas. Sam was born on August 20, 1956, in Vega, Texas to Rose Marie and Marvin Metcalf. On the farm in Vega, Sam played in the pond while plucking fruit from the trees, fetched eggs, and held newly hatched baby chicks and ducks.

Sam’s parents divorced, and the family left the farm to move to Amarillo. Rose Marie and the kids moved in with her mom (Grandma Rose) in Amarillo after a home addition was completed. Sam grew up in Amarillo and attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School led by Benedictine nuns, Alice Landergin Elementary, Fannin Junior High, and Amarillo High, and then graduated from Caprock High School in 1975.

Growing up, Sam enjoyed playing board games, canasta, dominoes, badminton, hide and seek, and Red Rover with his siblings and cousins. Monopoly was one of their favorite games, and through a few rule changes and creative negotiating, the game would last for several days at a time. Sam loved to tinker and build with his brother Dan. Most of the tinkering was harmless, but there was one time that their pipe creation resulted in a projectile shooting through the house. Sam and Dan played football together and freely roamed the neighborhood, spending many hours by the railroad tracks and grain elevator. Sam and Dan also raised pigeons and rabbits in the backyard.

When Sam got older, he enjoyed working on cars and fixing things around the house. Sam enjoyed fishing and spending time with his dogs. He also loved going to hard rock concerts and visiting with his many friends and family.

Sam was a “talker” who loved people. He lovingly referred to himself as an “old grocery store man” who spent many years working in local grocery stores. Sam worked at Piggly Wiggly grocery store in the late 1970s, then at Homeland grocery into the early 2000s, at United Supermarket, and finally at the Pak-A-Sak convenience store on Osage until his retirement in 2018. Sam was a loyal, hard worker who put his customers first every day. During his time working at Homeland grocery store, he received numerous awards for creating innovative displays for Tony’s Pizza. He was awarded a special bi-plane ride with the Red Baron Stearman Squadron. Sam was awarded Employee of the Year for “always reacting to customer needs, always delivering his personal touch, and making customers feel at home.”  Sam also worked briefly painting the inside of houses where one co-worker became a very good friend of his.

At Pak-A-Sak, Sam welcomed everyone and knew all his customers by name. Customers loved Sam and came to his store specifically to see him. Sam was kind to everyone and frequently called his friends “brother” or “sister” because he treated his friends like family.  Wherever Sam went, he was always running into former customers who still loved him and hugged him.  The owner of Pak-A-Sak ran into Sam and his family at a local restaurant and stated that he had always wanted Sam to be the store manager. However, Sam preferred customer interaction, keeping the store stocked, and ensuring that all aspects of the car wash and gas pumps remained in “spit and shine” condition. The Pak-A-Sak owner also stated that he had told the store manager that his job was “to keep Sam happy” since Sam was the reason that the Osage store was #1 across the entire company for all the years that Sam worked there.

For many years, Sam has been the president of the annual Slater/Metcalf family reunion and loved spending time with his extended family. This reunion was one of his favorite events each year because he got to spend time talking with everyone.  He also loved the other family reunions in Texas and seeing relatives from Missouri.

Sam struggled with alcohol for many years but finally overcame alcoholism after having three DUIs while being a working alcoholic. Sam was 20 years sober and helped many others with their alcoholism through his involvement with Alcoholics Anonymous.  Sam read the AA Recovery Bible until it was falling apart at the seams.  He made amends daily and was always helping everyone that he could. Sam was thankful to his AA “adopt-a-daddy” and many other men in AA who sponsored him.

Sam believed in the Bible and the religious teachings he learned as a child at St. Joseph’s.  Sam’s faith in Jesus Christ sustained him since he felt that God had taken him from “rock bottom” to recovery from alcoholism.  He repented for his sins and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. Sam lived “one day at a time” and continued to make amends.  We believe he converted many people over his lifetime, and Sam always prayed for all of us.

Sam was preceded in death by his parents, Rose Marie and Marvin Metcalf, and his beloved Grandma Rose, who had a tremendous impact on his life.  Sam often commented that Grandma set the course for his life, and Sam truly felt loved by her.  Marvin, his dad, was never around much during the formative years, visiting only once every five years, which, in retrospect, was a blessing.

Sam is survived by his sister, RuthAnn Kincannon, in Texas; sister, Kathy Terry and husband, Steve, near Dallas, Texas; brother, Dan Metcalf and wife, Barb, near San Antonio, Texas; niece, Stephanie Milne and husband, Seth, and their daughter Samantha (also known as “little Sam”) of Amarillo, Texas; nephew, Danny Metcalf and his children near San Antonio, Texas; niece Apryl Metcalf near San Antonio, Texas; and many loving friends and extended family members.