Ronald Edward Samford Jr.

1952 - 2022

Ronald Edward Samford Jr. passed away on Monday, January 31, 2022, with his family at his side. He was 69 years old. Ron was born on July 9, 1952, in Minneapolis, MN. As the son of a professional baseball player, Ron lived many different places during his childhood, spending time in Puerto Rico and Hawaii to name a few. Eventually, Ron's family returned to their hometown of Dallas, Texas, where he was a student at Adamson High School, and was Student Council President, captain of the football and basketball teams, and voted "most likely to succeed" by his senior class. Ron received a full scholarship to Texas Tech University where he obtained a B.B.A. and a M.S. in Accounting. During his time at Texas Tech, Ron played tight end for the Red Raiders football team and was a proud member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. Most importantly, he met the love of his life and future wife, Carol. They were married in 1978. After graduate school, Ron and Carol returned to Dallas, where Ron worked for Price Waterhouse as a Senior Audit Manager. During this time, he led many consulting projects including one that gave Ron, Carol, and their daughter, Jordan, the opportunity to move to London for eighteen months. Ron and Carol ended their stint abroad with a 6-week road trip through Europe, an experience that inspired a life-long passion for world travel. After returning to their native Texas, Ron served as SVP and Chief Accounting Officer for Team Bank, and Ron and Carol had their second daughter, Claire, in 1989. In 1992, Ron and Carol moved their family to New Orleans, a city that they would embrace quickly and easily as their new home. They reveled in all that New Orleans had to offer, frequenting festivals, theaters, and restaurants, and were known for their hospitality during the Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest seasons. During Ron's time in New Orleans, he served as Chief Administrative Officer at Hibernia National Bank and First Bank and Trust. In 2013, his lifelong dream of leading a community bank was fulfilled when he became the President and CEO of Metairie Bank, a role he held until he passed. Ron was a leader in the community and served on the Crime Stoppers GNO Board of Trustees and as a member of the Jefferson Parish Business Council. Previously, Ron was on the Boards of the Louisiana Bankers' Association, the Community Financial Insurance Center and Louise S. McGehee School (where he served as Chairman from 1999-2001). Ron was involved with the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the Jefferson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and worked closely with Jefferson Beautification, Inc. Ron also did a weekly segment on WWL's The Scoot Show, which he always looked forward to. He was a past Corporate Chair of the Step Out/Walk to Stop Diabetes and was a member of the "Real Men Wear Pink" campaign in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Ron worked extensively with Each One Save One, a local organization that he was passionate about. Ron was an avid sports lover and followed the Saints, Pelicans, LSU Tigers, and Texas Tech Red Raiders closely. He loved to golf whenever possible, and was always well informed on current events, reading the newspaper in its entirety every day. Ron was a dedicated conservative and was always up for a debate regarding local and national politics. Ron was preceded in death by his parents, Ronald and Mary Samford. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Carol Hilliard Samford, his daughters, Jordan Samford Lambert (Peyton), and Claire Samford Richards (Michael), his grandsons, Samford Christian, Sawyer James, and Theodore Joseph Lambert, his brother, James Samford (Carol), sister, Alicia Osborne, and many in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, and wonderful friends. Most of all, Ron was known for being a man of integrity, exceedingly humble, and a pillar of the Greater New Orleans community. He will be missed dearly by all who knew him. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral services on Sunday, February 6, 2022, at Jacob Schoen & Son Funeral Home, 3827 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119. Visitation will begin at 11:00 a.m. and will continue until the funeral service at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Ron's memory to Each One Save One (eachonesaveone.org) or to The Leukemia And Lymphoma Society (lls.org). Arrangements by Jacob Schoen & Son Funeral Home 3827 Canal St. New Orleans, LA 70119