Samuel Redd

1954 - 2026

Samuel Minor Redd, 71, passed away peacefully in the early morning of January 14, 2026, at Care Haven Homes in Prairie Village, Kansas.

Sam was born on April 17, 1954, in Syracuse, NY, to Samuel Carey and Elizabeth (Poss) Redd. He proudly carried the family name as the eighth generation in a row to have a son named Samuel Redd.

Sam was raised in New York, Virginia and Georgia. Sam was an Eagle Scout who embraced adventure early on. In 1969, he famously traveled by train all the way from Virginia to Idaho to attend the 7th Boy Scout Jamboree. At camp he and his scouts received a special message broadcast from Neil Armstrong aboard the Apollo 11 mission wishing them their best. Upon his return trip home, he found that his family had moved to Roswell, Georgia while he was away.

A lifelong learner, Sam earned a degree in Biology from Virginia Tech, with further studies at Radford College and Piedmont Virginia Community College. He began his career in medical technology in Virginia before transitioning to a long and dedicated 32-year career as a computer programmer for State Farm in Bloomington, Illinois.

It was at State Farm that Sam met Shirley Lundgren of Princeton, Illinois. They were married on October 8, 1988, in Princeton, Illinois, and built a life centered on family and faith. Sam was a devoted member of the First Presbyterian Church of Normal, Illinois.

In 1991, Sam and Shirley welcomed their son, Samuel Carey Redd, ensuring the continuation of the family name into the ninth generation.

Sam was a man of quiet joys and steady passions. He found peace on his bicycle and took great pride in teaching his son chess. He also enjoyed playing golf with his son and watching the tour de France every summer.

In 2022, Sam embraced a new chapter of life as a grandfather with the birth of his first grandson, Samuel James Redd who is now the 10th generation of Sam's.

Sam was preceded in death by his father, Samuel Carey Redd, and his sister, Allison Redd.

His memory lives on through: his wife (Shirley Redd), his mother (Elizabeth Redd), his brother (Carey Redd) and his wife (Suzy Redd), his son (Samuel Carey Redd) and his wife (Elizabeth), and his grandsons; Samuel James and Ellis Michael Redd.