Samuel L. Shanaman, III

Samuel Logan Shanaman III died on October 12, 2024, at Carleton-Willard Village in Bedford, MA surrounded by his family, with dogs jumping on the bed, on a beautiful fall day. He was 83 years old, and lived the majority of his adult life in Wakefield and Andover, MA.

Sam was born to Samuel Shanaman II and Mary Miles Shanaman in Westchester, PA in 1941. He grew up working in the family feed, lumber and oil business in Honeybrook, PA , and is a proud graduate of the Westtown Friends School, where he developed his lifelong love of sports.  An exceptional athlete, Sam always loved competing, attending Springfield College to play soccer. He graduated from Albright College with a realization that he had a strong mind for business, and began a long and successful career in finance and senior management. He was a senior leader for a range of companies that included Entrex, Nixdorf Computer, Infinet, DM Management/ J. Jill and Polymedica.

As successful as he was as a businessperson, he was even more passionate as a husband and father. He married his teenage sweetheart Nancy Beth Rudolph in 1966 (they were married for 58 years), and they began raising a family. He always made time for games and activities with his kids Brett Shanaman and Holly Shanaman Neale, rarely missing a chance to cheer or coach. And that passion continued with his grandchildren Devin, Aaron, Kate and Brady, where Sam became a fixture at games and events and made it possible for the extended family to spend much-cherished time together.

Sam was just fantastic at having fun. He was self-effacing and kind and always giving in ways both big and small. He always had a passion for people, for their stories and for their concerns. And his caring and interest were genuine, whether you were his immediate family member or the plumber he had just met. The family is pretty sure he never met a dog he didn’t like. And above all, he was always willing to try, rarely afraid to fail, and retained a childlike joy and appreciation until the very end. 

Sam always had a passion for cars, starting with his first and favorite car, a 1957 Chevy convertible with the “power pack V8 and a stick with overdrive!” (Sam’s words). He was an accomplished endurance racer, co-owner of a race shop with his great friend Dave Laughlin, and won at the professional level over multiple decades.  To Sam racing was a celebration of skill, teamwork and just plain fun, and was a great metaphor for how he lived and loved.

A long-time cancer survivor, Sam battled a form of leukemia for 20 years. Thanks to the brilliance of the researchers at Dana Farber, and due to his own passion to live and willingness to try experimental treatments, Sam extended a “2 years to live” prognosis into two more decades of a full life. His family will be forever grateful.

Sam is survived by his wife Nancy, son Brett and daughter-in-law Shelley, daughter Holly and son-in-law John, grandchildren Devin, Aaron, Kate and Brady. He also leaves behind sister Mary Ellen and brother Bill as well as cherished in-laws, nieces and nephews and their families.

Sam’s family will hold a celebration of his life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in memory of Sam Shanaman III via dana-farber.org/gift or to the American Friends Service Committee in memory of Sam Shanaman III at https://legacyofpeace.afsc.org/memorials-and-tribute-gifts.