Samuel Donald McNeil

1987 - 2015

Samuel Donald McNeil

Sam McNeil, 28, passed away on Friday, October 23rd at his home in Boca Raton, Florida.

Sam was a kind and loving young man whose greatest gift was his huge heart and compassion for others. Sam died from a drug overdose after losing an 8-year battle with addiction. If one person reads this and it stops them from going down the path of addiction, then his death was not in vain.

Sam was born on July 22, 1987 to Greg and Liz McNeil. He was the youngest of three children and idolized his big brother, Mathew, and his big sister, Amy. The three of them were inseparable. The family moved from Cuyahoga Falls to Hudson when Sam was a baby and he went on to spend his entire school career in the Hudson City Schools, graduating in 2006. Sam landed his first job at Ohio State Waterproofing. It was there that he discovered his passion for sales. Sam had an affinity for working with people and he was good at it. The old adage "People buy from people they like" certainly held true for Sam because everybody liked him.

Sam was a natural athlete and was good at just about every sport he tried. At seven he joined Hudson Youth Football and played all through middle school and into high school. During his 10-year football career he also participated in baseball and basketball; but his first love was always football. Sam hit the slopes for the first time when he was six and continued to ski throughout his life at every opportunity. He especially loved the family ski trips where he could spend time skiing with his sister and cousins. Sam also loved the water. He was a good swimmer and learned to water ski at 12. When he got a little older Sam learned to golf. He was a natural and loved to play with his Dad and Grandpa. Sam really liked to fish. When he moved to Florida in 2013 he made the leap from fresh water to salt water fishing. He just loved being out on the water.

Sam is survived by his mother and stepfather, Liz and Chris Crandall of Medina; his father, Greg McNeil, and stepmother, Lori Barber McNeil of Hudson; his sister, Amy McNeil of Chicago; his brother and wife, Mathew and Krystal McNeil and their son Izaiah, of Northfield. He also leaves behind his maternal grandmother, Mila Bonadillo of Montrose; paternal grandparents, Dick and Becky McNeil, and their son Scott, of Kent; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

Sam also leaves behind the love of his life, Donasha O'Connor, and her daughter, Jada, of Boca Raton, Florida. She became an integral part of his life and his recovery. Sam flourished in Florida, becoming the top salesman at PartsBase, earning awards and a recent promotion.

Sam will live in our hearts forever.

alling hours are 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday at the Johnson Romito Funeral Home, 19 East Main Street (square Hudson, Ohio), 330-650-4181. Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday at the Kent State University Parish Newman Center, 1424 Horning Rd. in Kent. Sam will be interred at Standing Rock Cemetery, 1361 North Mantua St. (State Route 43) in Kent. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to Principio, a non-profit organization formed to help create opportunities for those in recovery. Donations may be made on their website, principiorecovery.org.