Samuel A. Scribner

SCRIBNER, Samuel A. Passed away March 18, 2003 in Santa Rosa, CA, after a short illness, at age 89. He was born in New York City and graduated on the dean’s list of Yale’s Greatest Class - 1936. After college he worked for General Motors until joining the Navy in 1940. During World War II, he commanded a destroyer escort, serving in the South Pacific. His ship was bombed and lost half its crew in Leyte Gulf. After the war, he continued to serve in the Naval Reserves, attaining the rank of Commander. In October of 1945, he married Jean Hussey of Auburn, CA. He entered the motion picture industry and was a film director with Willard Pictures in New York. In 1963, he moved to Eastman Kodak’s Motion Picture Services division in Rochester. As a writer, director and producer, he made several films for Kodak, including THE TALL SHIPS, a documentary of the Coast Guard’s square rigged training ship, Eagle, and WASHINGTON THE MAN, featuring Lorne Greene and shown during the Bicentennial at the Washington Monument. He also worked with Buster Keaton, Ted Knight, Herb Schriner, and several other film luminaries. He retired from Kodak in 1979 and moved to Santa Rosa. He enjoyed cooking, cross word puzzles and building things. He was an avid bike rider who was often seen riding around Santa Rosa on his bicycle in his striped soccer shirt, khaki shorts and blue tennis shoes. He is survived by his wife Jean and their three sons: Sam Jr. (and wife Pamm), a screenwriter in San Francisco; John, a teacher in Seoul, Korea; and Peter, an attorney in Rochester. He is also survived by his brother Jack (and wife Jackie) of Orlando, Florida, and by many nephews and nieces. Memorial services will be on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at ABBY CHAPEL OF THE REDWOODS in Rohnert Park, followed by a reception at his home at 533 Mountain View Ave., Santa Rosa.