Julius Samel

Shirley Samel (October 5, 1928 - February 6, 2026)

Julius Samel (February 28, 1925 - February 18, 2026)

The family of Shirley and Julius Samel are deeply saddened to announce the passing of both of their parents 12 days apart after 78 years of marriage.

Julius ("Julie") Samel was born in Jaroslav, Poland on February 28, 1925, to Cilia (nee Keil) and Josef Samel. When Julie was an infant, the family moved to Vienna, where his parents opened and operated a thriving grocery store.

After Nazi Germany's invasion of Austria, the family wanted to emigrate to the US but were unable to obtain visas, forcing them to temporarily relocate in Havana for about 18 months. While there, Julie attended high school, learned to speak Spanish, and often looked after his only sibling, Erika, seven years younger, while his parents worked. In 1940, the family was able to move to the US, settling in Brooklyn.

Julie resumed his studies, graduating from high school and attending college. In 1944, he joined the US Navy and was deployed to the Pacific. As a member of the Seabees, Julie constructed vital infrastructure on Pacific islands, including Okinawa, to be used by fellow military personnel in the fight against Japan. Following the war, he returned to New York.

Shirley (nee Buchbinder) was born in Brooklyn on October 5, 1928, the fifth of six siblings, to Fannie and Moses Buchbinder, who had emigrated from Romania. She attended Shulamith School for Girls and graduated from Hunter High School and eventually from Queens College.

Shirley and Julie met at a dance in 1946 and were married on February 8, 1948. They settled in Bayside, Queens and raised three sons - Arthur, Jeffrey, and David. They each were devoted to their children and also to the extended Buchbinder and Samel families, including relatives residing in distant states and countries. They doted on their granddaughters Dawn, Rebecca, Samantha, and Anna and recently welcomed four great-grandchildren into the family. They were constant companions to each other, especially after Julie's retirement in 1995, attending numerous concerts, Broadway shows, and exercise and music classes at their local YMHA. Their greatest joy was at family gatherings: weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, Passover seders that they hosted annually for many decades, as well as other joyous occasions.

Shirley was often described as a "force of nature," and those who knew her can readily attest to her formidable strength and will. She excelled as a student at every level and in her late 30's, she resumed her studies and graduated from Queens College along with Arthur in 1969. She was a ferocious advocate for her family and loved with the same degree of strength.

Julie was a soft-spoken man but led by strong example. After trying several different careers, including diamond cutting and toy manufacturing, he opened a highly successful housewares store on Madison Avenue - W.G. Lemmon - and operated it for nearly 35 years. Shirley loved to describe how Julie's customers considered him to be a "fine European gentleman," a phrase that succinctly sums up his personality.

Shirley and Julie are survived by their three sons, daughters-in-law Dorothy and Ellen, granddaughters, and great-grandchildren (Oliver, Julian, Rowan, and Sophie), as well as by their numerous nieces and nephews and cousins. Their passing leaves an enormous hole in all of our hearts.