Samuel Albert "Sam" Saxon

Samuel Albert “Sam” Saxon, artist and educator, has died at the age of 86 on Friday, December 9, 2022. Sam was born in Albany, Georgia on April 6, 1936, the son of Samuel Albert Saxon, Jr and Sarah Joe Murray Saxon. He attended Albany (GA) High School, Gordon Military High School (Barnesville, GA) and Gainesville (FL) High School, graduating from Gainesville High in 1955. After graduation, Sam served his country by enlisting in the U.S. Air Force in Jacksonville, FL in 1955. He was stationed at Keesler Air Force Base, where he trained as an Air Traffic Controller. Following training, he was sent to Andersen Air Force Base on Guam in the South Pacific. While there, he assisted in guiding the refueling planes that serviced the B-52 bombers on their first non-stop, around-the-world flight in January 1957 (Operation Power Flite). He was released from active duty in January 1959 at Eglin Air Force Base, Niceville, FL, and received his honorable discharge in 1963. After returning to Gainesville, he attended the University of Florida, where he became a proud member of the Alpha Epsilon chapter of Pi Kappa Phi. As an active member, he served as pledge trainer, chaplain, and summer president. Many years later, in 2000, he returned to AE to be the house director and advisor, a role he filled until 2004. In 2019, he received the Diamond Legion award for 60 years of membership. Sam spent two years at UF, then transferred to LaGrange College, LaGrange, GA, where he earned an undergraduate degree in Speech and Theatre in 1964. He appeared in several theatre productions there, most notably playing “The Distant Voice” in Archibald MacLeish’s “J.B.”, a retelling of the story of Job. The “distant voice” was an anonymous voice said to be the “voice of God”. His interest in theatre would continue throughout his life, both as actor and stage crew, in various community theatres in Nevada, Idaho, Arkansas, and Florida. He also founded a community theatre in Murtaugh, Idaho. After a visit to his mother in Las Vegas, Sam obtained a teacher’s certificate from UNLV and began a long career in education. He was a classroom teacher, a principal three times, a superintendent of schools, and headmaster om the Missouri Military School junior school. Along the way, he also served as a Boy Scout Troop Leader (1965-1973), National Jamboree Scout Master (1973), and Boy Scout Camp Director (1970 and 1972). During summer vacations, he advanced his own education, earning Master’s (1973) and Doctorate (1981) degrees in Education from Brigham Young University. After retiring from school administration, Sam never stopped teaching, both formally and informally. He served as a substitute teacher in Washington County, AR, and Alachua County, FL, schools, kindergarten reading tutor, and special education aide in Alachua County, FL, and held various support positions at the University of Arkansas. He also worked as a security guard at the Harn Museum of Art on the UF campus and later served as a volunteer docent. After a long and winding faith journey, Sam found his spiritual home in the Catholic Church, entering church in 2001 at St. Augustine Catholic Church and Student Center, where he served as a volunteer lector and extraordinary minister of Communion. There he married his soulmate, Cecile Sands, in 2004. A life-long sketch artist and painter, he returned to actively making art during his later years, painting landscapes, seascapes, figural works, and abstracts. His work has been on display at various locations in the Gainesville (FL) area and is held in several private collections, as well as the chapel at St. Augustine Church and Catholic Student Center and the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house at UF. Sam touched many lives over his 86 years on this earth – innumerable schoolchildren and parents, colleagues, friends, fraternity brothers, and artists. He considered his greatest accomplishment to be teaching boys to be good men. He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife of 18 years, Cecile Sands, sons John, Robert (Ann), and Gus (Shelley), brother E. Gus Saxon (Kate) of Hemet, CA, 5 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, and cat Daisy. Funeral Mass to be held at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, December 20 at St. Augustine Church and Catholic Student Center, 1738 W University Ave., Gainesville, FL 32603, with a reception to follow. Interment will be at Oakview Cemetery, Albany, GA. In lieu of flowers, Sam requested that donations be made to St. Augustine Church and Catholic Student Center and the Harn Museum of Art at UF. The funeral Livestream link. https://youtu.be/xSj7SVvRjyg

Samuel Albert "Sam" Saxon

April 6, 1936 - December 9, 2022