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Sam English Obituary
August 9, 1945 - November 27, 2025
Dr. Sam Earl English II, DDS, passed away on November 27, 2024. Born on August 9, 1945, in Portsmouth, Virginia, Sam lived a life defined by integrity, faith and love of family.
Sam graduated early from Hermitage High School and entered the Virginia Military Institute at age sixteen, rising to the rank of Captain. He went on to earn his dental degree from the Medical College of Virginia before serving honorably in the United States Army at Fort Benning.
After returning to Virginia, Sam built what became an extensive dental practice that grew to eight offices across central Virginia. He was known for his fairness and steady presence, and for the way he cared for patients whose families often remained with him for generations.
Sam also devoted himself to the world of thoroughbred racing. What began with a few horses near his home grew into English Racing Stables, with farms in Goochland and Dinwiddie. His deep knowledge of horses and respect for the people who worked beside him made the business an important and meaningful part of his life.
Sam's faith guided him daily, shaping a life centered on honesty, kindness, and acceptance. He valued sincerity over status and lived by strong personal values that emphasized humility, hard work, and doing right by others.
Sam is survived by his daughters, Allison English Watkins and Stacey Elizabeth English; and by his grandchildren, Stan Watkins, Monty Watkins, and Drew Watkins; his brothers and sister; as well as many other beloved family members and special friends who will forever cherish his memory.
The family will receive friends from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, December 7, at the Mechanicsville Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home, 8014 Lee-Davis Road. A funeral service will be held 9:30 a.m. Monday, December 8, at The Episcopal Church of the Creator, 7159 Mechanicsville Turnpike. Entombment will follow in Signal Hill Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Virginia Thoroughbred Project (virginiathoroughbredproject.org).
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Bennett Funeral Homes - Mechanicsville8014 Lee Davis Rd, Mechanicsville, VA 23111
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