Samuel Bennett Houston

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Samuel Bennett Houston, "Sam," "Sammy," "Pop," "Pop Pop" on Wednesday, November 19th, 2025 at age 87. Sam spent his whole life living in and loving Maryland. He was born on Thursday, March 24, 1938, in Baltimore, MD to Samuel Hopkins Houston and the late Katherine (Bennett) Houston, and he passed at Buckingham's Choice Assisted Living in Adamstown, MD.
Sam is at peace now after battling late stages of Alzheimer's, and the loss stings for those who remember the jubilant spirit he brought into every room. Sam was a family man who cared immensely for those he loved and who simply loved people. He could make anyone smile with the jokes and stories he would tell, and was so fun to be around. But he also knew how to stand tall in tough times, work hard, and never lose sight of what mattered most.
Sam was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and later went on to manage grocery stores, spending the rest of his career in the food business. He cared deeply about keeping others well fed and nourished, and would often invite others to eat with him or stay for dinner. His passion for food spilled into his hobbies outside of work. His favorite activities included tending to his garden at home and going fishing. He loved to share in these joys with those around him, and some of the most cherished memories with him involve the big family fishing trips on vacation, gatherings on the back porch for Maryland crabs, him cooking up a fresh breakfast for his kids and grandkids with tomatoes from his garden, and the whiskey he would pour on his pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.
He was particularly touched by issues of poverty and hunger, and in honor of that we kindly request that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Frederick Rescue Mission by following this link: therescuemission.org/give/#donate
Sam is survived by the big and loving family he helped build, which includes his wife, Ruth Houston, daughters Cathy and Jan (Rob), son Mike (Rina), seven grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.
The service will be held at a later date, but until then we invite anyone to reach out to the family to share memories and stories of our beloved Sam.