Samuel B. Crispin

1925 - 2015

CRISPIN, SAMUEL B. was born on April 20, 1925, in Danville, Illinois. He passed away on May 4th. You could write so much about this great man. His life adventures. His great civic contributions. His spectacular advertising career. His wife, two children and grandchildren whom all loved him greatly. But above all, Sam Crispin was quite simply one of the kindest, nicest, and most honorable human beings you could ever have the pleasure of meeting. Sam served on a submarine, the USS PERCH, in the South Pacific during World War II. Sam then earned his degree from the University of Illinois, and was accepted into Harvard Medical School, but declined and relocated to Miami. Coral Reef Yacht Club was where Sam's heart and soul lived. He was a member of "The Men's Literary Society" whose regular place of meeting was formerly known as "the men's bar", where they mostly sat around and told jokes and lies about how they were once as good as they ever were. Sam loved this group of guys, and the love affair was mutual. Sam started Samuel B. Crispin & Associates in 1965, and was a pioneer in the Miami advertising community. "Crispin Advertising" became a travel and tourism powerhouse, handling advertising for such accounts as The Cayman Islands, Jamaica Tourist Board, Intercontinental Hotels, as well as helping the Grahams establish Miami Lakes. The agency's name changed to Crispin & Porter in 1988, when Sam sold the agency to his son, Charles, and Chuck Porter. Alex Bogusky would later join the firm as a partner. Sam's daughter Cathy, worked in the media department until 1988. She helped establish a successful Yellow Pages department at the firm. Sam became Chairman Emeritus. The agency grew quickly and was three times named one of the top 15 agencies in America. This success freed Sam to spend more time on his beloved Endeavor ketch, Chickcharney, sailing wherever in the Bahamas he decided to go. Sam served as Co-Chairman of the Bahamas Marine Advisory Council, Co-Founder of the International Center (World Trade Center), a Director and Past President of the Coral Gables War Memorial Youth Center, a Trustee for the Miami Kiwanis Club, and long-time Director and Past Commodore of Coral Reef Yacht Club. His agency also generated millions of dollars of pro-bono efforts on behalf of many organizations, including The Beacon Council, UM/JM Burn Center, National Parkinson Foundation, the effort to rebuild Miami Metrozoo after Hurricane Andrew, and numerous sailing related causes. He is survived by his wife Karen, his beloved dog Teak, and Karen's children Tara and Devon. In addition, he is survived by his two children with his first wife, Martha Ann (Marti): Cathy Keller of Miami, Florida, and Charles Crispin of Tequesta, Florida and his wife Laurie, four very successful and loved grand-children, JK and Rachel Keller, and Wade and Kelly Crispin. Sam also leaves behind hundreds of cousins, nieces and nephews, and so many friends, literally, around the world. For those who knew him best, you know that right now he is somewhere in the Bahamas, behind the wheel of a beautiful sailing vessel, with a rum drink in his hand, the wind filling his sails, and a huge, Sam Crispin smile on his face. There will be a celebration of his life this fall. In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to consider a contribution to the Samuel B. Crispin Fund, care of the Lauderdale Yacht Club Sailing Foundation, a 501 C 3 organization established to provide funds to assist South Florida youth, to start or continue their own love affair with sailing. Contributions can be made, in his name, through www.lycsf.org.