Samuel Wesley Horton III

1949 - 2022

Samuel Wesley Horton III
June 10, 1949 - September 20, 2022
Samuel Wesley Horton III, educator, explorer and committed husband, father and grandfather, passed away quietly at his Forestville home September 20, 2022, at age 73. He is preceded by his wife of 29 years, Martha Horton and survived by his daughter Sadie, son-in-law Chris and grandsons Cameron and Adam. Sam was a man of few words making sure to never be the center of attention, but his depth, interests, and stories (shared with a precious few) were endless.
Sam's passion for nature and education took him on adventures throughout the United States, Central and South America, Europe and Asia. His countless trips led him to kayak in Southeast Alaska studying wolves for over 3 months, to backpacking with students in Patagonia, even teaching kids to scuba drive in St Croix with his 1-year-old daughter in tow. At home, he led multiple backpacking trips and vision quests in Death Valley and Mount Lassen all while studying California Natural History.
In his time spent outside the classroom, he could be found enjoying and learning more about our natural world. Whether it was backpacking, fly fishing, rock climbing, abalone diving, bird watching, or just slowing down to take a stroll with his camera, there was almost always a weekend adventure planned. Sam valued his time at home as well and enjoyed playing soccer, gardening, reading, drawing, and carving. Above all, Sam loved spending quality time with his family.
Let's come together to celebrate Sam's spirit walking on and his incredible contribution all our lives.
Celebration of Life planned for November 12, 2022, at 1:00 pm
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Sonoma Academy's Horton STEM Scholarship.