Samuel Frank Mazella

Dr. Samuel Frank Mazella (1934-2022) Dr. Samuel Frank Mazella passed away on December 11th, 2022, at the age of 87 years old. Sam was born at 4 am on New Years' Eve, 1934, to Helen Oddo and John Mazella, in Passaic, NJ. Sam grew up alongside his brother John (1933-2016) in depression-era Garfield, NJ, surrounded by an elaborate family group of aunts, uncles, cousins, and half-brothers and -sisters. Sam spent his earliest years with his brother playing ball, clearing weeds at Swatty's farm, and enjoying the lemon ices and pastries down the street. By the time Sam graduated from East Rutherford High School, he was accomplished enough in sports to turn down a football scholarship at Rutgers, and decided instead to follow his brother John to Cornell University and pursue medicine as a zoology major. The two brothers joined Alpha Delt, where he was a house steward, and graduated from Cornell, with Sam entering George Washington University Medical School in 1957. While still a resident, he met a young elementary school teacher, Judith Holderman, and they almost immediately became engaged. They began their marriage and family while he finished medical school and military service, having Dan and David in 1960 and 1962. He then became general surgeon practicing in the DC and Maryland area, maintaining a practice and working at Cafritz Hospital, and eventually Southern Maryland Hospital, where he eventually became Chief of the Medical Staff. When he left Southern Maryland Hospital he found a new career as the owner/director of a travel medicine clinic, Farragut Medical Inc., which has offered vaccinations and medical services to tourists and Washington DC locals since the 1990s. Sam worked at Farragut until he retired at 81. Sam was a skilled, caring, and versatile physician, and highly adaptable during a period when the medical profession was rapidly changing. While all this was happening, Sam and Judy bought and renovated a series of old and unwieldy houses that took them further and further away from the suburbs, first in Fauquier Co. and then Anne Arundel Co. With the additional space, Judy was able to build her studio and produce the paintings and drawings that occupied her for the rest of her life, while Sam was able to breed and train the Labrador retrievers for field trials. He ran one national field champion, Dandy Bouncer, and bred and trained dozens more that became pets and hunting dogs for his friends and colleagues. Dan would often accompany him during his hunting and fishing trips, and Dave helped feed and take care of the dogs. He was an avid hunter and fisherman, and enjoyed golfing well into his 80's. In the course of his lifetime, he owned cattle, horses, and dogs, raising and owning at least 20 dogs in his kennels and home, and caring for innumerable inside and outside cats. He was fiercely devoted to Judy, who died after a long illness in 2014. He is survived by his sons, Daniel Mazella (and wife Kimberly Mazella) and David Mazella (and wife Beryl Forrest Mazella), grandchildren Cara Mazella Serianni (and husband Ryan Serianni), Helen Mazella, and Joseph Mazella. A memorial service will be held on Thursday December 15, 2022 at the Hardesty Funeral Home, P.A. 905 Galesville Road Galesville, MD 20765. Online condolences may be placed at www.hardestyfuneralhome.com