Samuel Bullock

Samuel Bullock BRISTOL, Tenn. Another member of The Greatest Generation has left us. Samuel Joseph "Sam" Bullock, 90, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010. Funeral services will be on Tuesday, Nov. 23, at St. Anne Catholic Church at 1 p.m., with visitation in the church beginning at 11 a.m. Pallbearers will be family members. Those who wish may, in lieu of flowers, make a donation to Holly Help Spay-Neuter Fund, P.O. Box 1264; Bristol, VA 24203. Condolences and memories may be sent and viewed by visiting, www.oakley-cook.com Funeral arrangements for Mr. Bullock are in the care of Oakley-Cook Funeral Home. `Sam Bullock was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 65 years, Ethel Shew Bullock; a grandson, Jef Roberts; his son-in-law, Don Roberts; his brothers, Robert, Charles, and James Bullock; his half-brothers, Albert, Clyde, Claude, Roy, and Fred Bullock; and a half-sister, Willie Bullock Moore. He is survived by his children, Linda Roberts, Barbara Niemczak, Pat Dixon, Kathy DeVault, and David Bullock; sons-in-law, Steve Dixon and Walter Niemczak; daughter-in-law, Maria Bullock; grandchildren, Jamie Dixon, Joe Dixon, Rebecca Webb, Sam DeVault, Daniel DeVault, Gabriel Bullock, and Samantha Bullock; great-grandchildren, Sam and Sophie Dixon and Cara Dixon; sister-in-law, Ruth Bullock; many nieces and nephews; and his ever-faithful Jack Russell Terrier, Daisy. He was born in Scott County, Va., to the late Samuel T. and Katherine Brennan Bullock, and soon moved to Bristol Tennessee. From 1925-1933, he lived in Nashville, Tenn., where he was the captain of the St. Mary's basketball team and played football under Father Dillon, a Notre Dame classmate of Knute Rockne. He was a graduate of Tennessee High School, and during his high school years played football and ran track. After school day ended, he worked numerous jobs, including Bradley's Drug Store, the Rapid Messenger Service, Rainero's Lighthouse Restaurant and Gas Station, and Pete Moore's Cumberland Street Boxing Arena. Any spare time he spent roaming around downtown Bristol with his best friends, Garnett Roberts and Jim "Junior" Akins. At the age of 20, he met Ethel Shew, the love of his life. They married a year later and shared 65 years of warm family life with their children. During the pre-war years, he worked in the shipyards at Newport News, Va., and opened the body shop at State's Motors in Bristol Tennessee. During World War II, he served with the bombardiers in the First Air Commandos of the Army Air Corps in the China-Burma-India Theatre, alongside Actor Jackie Coogan and Col. Philip "Flip" Cochran, the inspiration for Col. Flip Corkin in the popular comic strip, "Terry and the Pirates". Throughout the rest of his life, he kept in contact with the many friends he had made during his years in the service. Upon his return from the war, he re-opened the body shop at State's Motors; taught at the Trade School; and opened his own business, Wayne Body and Paint Shop. When Sperry came to Bristol, he opened and managed the Painting and Electro-Plating Shop there and at Raytheon when they took over from Sperry. He retired from Raytheon in 1984 and did consulting work for them for an additional year. Always an avid sportsman and fan, he played softball during the war, and his team won the C.B.I. Theater League Championship. Back home, he played semi-pro baseball with the Bristol Mountaineers in the Bluegrass League. He coached football at St. Anne's Catholic School and baseball with Hill's Little League team and the Lincoln-Mercury Colt League team. He never missed a single one of his son's sports events and very few of those of his grandchildren. His favorite teams were the Atlanta Braves and the Tennessee High Vikings. He and his wife had season tickets for THS football games until recently, and there was seldom a home track meet at THS that he was not seen walking the sidelines in his Atlanta Braves ball cap. An active member of the VFW, he was a past commander of the Hackler Wood Post of the American Legion and helped operate the American Legion Pool from the 1940s to the early 1970s. He was awarded a lifetime membership in the American Legion a number of years ago. He learned to play the harmonica at an early age, and music was always an important part of his life. He danced and sang karaoke up until a few months before his passing. A quiet-spoken man known for his work ethic, kindness, and integrity, he was always willing to speak up when he saw an injustice. He was a master storyteller and regaled his family with stories of India, life at Saint Mary's, but mostly about his days as a young man-about-town in downtown Bristol-playing pranks, trying to impress college girls, singing at picnics on Big Creek, and so much more. A man of great personal charm, he loved to "work a room" and make new friends. And make them he did. He taught by example to live life as an adventure, no matter how difficult one's circumstances. His life is proof of the old adage, "You only live once, but-if you work it right-once is enough!"