Samuel "Sam" Thomas Whitaker

Sam Whitaker embraced life with dedication to family, hard work and a quick wit. 

Days before he passed at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston Salem, Sam told his family, “I’m breathing, until I’m not.”

Sam, 78, died early August 16th surrounded by the family he loved. 

He was born in Harmony, North Carolina, but made his home in nearby Hamptonville. Born in 1946, Sam started working the surrounding tobacco fields when he was just 8 years old to help support his mother and siblings after his father died. He quit school in tenth grade to work the fields full time.

He was young, but Sam was enterprising and eventually started leasing land from area farmers to raise tobacco. He worked hard and had a talent for agriculture. His family said, “He could grow anything from anything.”

He married his lifelong sweetheart, Janet, when they were in their teens. Their first date was a movie and Sam had enough for the ticket but not popcorn. After that, Sam made sure Janet had everything she ever wanted. 

The couple had four children and Sam worked multiple jobs in addition to growing tobacco to provide. He was resourceful and learned how to repair televisions and radios in a backyard shed. He retired from Lowe’s Home Improvement’s distribution center in Statesville.

The family recalled “We never had a lot, but we had what we needed.”

Sam was selfless and he put family first with one exception: a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air he lovingly restored from a rusted frame. He would tell people, “I have a 1956 Bel Air, a 1956 Massey Ferguson tractor and I’ve been married 56 years.” 

After retirement, he still used the tractor to plow, including planting a half-acre garden in April. His produce was legendary and he would load up the bed of his truck and drive to the local country store and give away watermelons to anyone who wanted one – or two, or three. 

Sam loved fresh corn, Janet’s banana pudding, a good tomato sandwich and music. He was a self-taught guitar player. He listened to music from the ‘50s and ‘60s including his personal favorite, Solomon Burke’s classic hit “Cry To Me.” 

And music and family filled his hospital room at the end including 

The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody”:

Lonely rivers sigh, 

Wait for me, wait for me I'll be coming home, wait for me. 

Sam Whitaker is survived by children Michael Whitaker, Julie Whitaker Wilmoth, Lisa Milhoan (Jermie) and Crystal Fox (Douglas); grandchildren Stacy (Shane), Tracy (Joshua), Kris, Sammy, Kacie, Tara, Douglas Jr. and James; five great grandchildren; and brother Jerry Whitaker (Gayle). He was preceded in death by wife Janet Whitaker, granddaughter Savanna Raane, his parents Lelah and Walter Whitaker and several siblings. 

Viewing will be held at Gentry Family Funeral Services (Yadkinville, N.C.) on Tuesday, August 20th from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Funeral services will be held the following Wednesday, August 21st, at 11am at the Gentry Family Chapel in Yadkinville.

Gentry Family Funeral Service in Yadkinville is serving the Whitaker family. Online condolences may be made at www.gentryfuneralservice.com.