William Burwell "Bill" Sample, Jr.  passed away Wednesday January 31, 2024, in Round Rock Texas at the age of 93.  Born on November 5, 1930, in Pittsburg Pennsylvania, Bill became part of the sixth generation of the Sample family to be born and raised in southwestern Pennsylvania. Growing up in Ben Avon about five miles down the Ohio River from Pittsburg, an adventurous childhood awaited including temporarily moving out west to Remuda Ranch near Wickenburg Arizona at the age of 8. He was about 12 years old when he and a friend set off on a four-day bicycle trip, camping out along the way. Only later did he find out that his father was secretly monitoring their progress from a distance.
Bill attended Avonworth High School in Ben Avon but moved on to complete his prep schooling at Shady Side Academy in Fox Chapel PA. The educational years continued as he enrolled in Allegheny College in Meadville PA and somehow also attended summer classes at Colorado College. Eventually, Bill decided to transfer out west to the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque where he became president of the SAE fraternity and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in geology.

Bill's geology studies served him well because he managed to strike gold when he met Shirley Fay, a UNM student from Green Bay Wisconsin who would become his wife and life partner. These two were born to be together, and they were married during a wedding held at his parents' house in Ben Avon on June 23rd, 1952, just about a week after they graduated from UNM. For their perfect honeymoon, they took off driving west, visiting glamorous honeymoon spots such as The Badlands and Devil's Tower along the way. This was the prequel for so many more traveling adventures.

Having already enlisted in the US Navy Reserve, Bill reported to Navy boot camp in Great Lakes Illinois on August 18th, 1952. This led to Officer Candidate School in Newport Rhode Island and then to Jacksonville Florida where he reported for active duty with Carrier Air Group One on December 7th, 1953. Bill was privileged to serve aboard the USS Midway including the 1955 Midway World Cruise. On December 22nd, 1956, Bill was discharged from active duty. He continued his Navy career for 30-years as a US Navy Reservist and eventually retired with the rank of Captain.

During the active-duty years two sons were born, and so, with Navy commitments completed, Bill and Shirley packed up their young family and drove west again, moving to Golden Colorado. Bill enrolled in the Colorado School of Mines and eventually earned a master's degree in engineering. After graduation he began a 30-year career with the Dow Chemical Company and moved the family to Arvada Colorado.  During these years a daughter was born followed by a third son. Bill and Shirley made sure that their children would know and share their love of the Rocky Mountains and the American west through countless camping trips, fishing trips and family vacations.

In 1975, Bill accepted a transfer with Dow Chemical to Lake Jackson Texas and started out on a whole new career path. Together Bill and Shirley explored the Gulf Coast area and for years they were regulars at the Alley Theater in Houston. In 1990 Bill & Shirley made their final move, this time to Georgetown Texas to spend their retirement years near their children and now grandchildren. They filled their lives with family and friends, took up new hobbies like birding and genealogy and they traveled the country and the world together. Still nothing really compared with heading back out west and they spent memorable years introducing grandchildren to all the places they loved.  Eventually the big travels were done, and they stayed closer to home.  During these years, they loved being members of the Georgetown Natural History Club and participating in club outings and events throughout Texas. State parks and historic locations were visited and revisited many times.

For those left behind, there is comfort knowing that Bill & Shirley are reunited and, if it's possible, heading west again.
In addition to his wife, Bill was preceded in death by eldest son John Donaldson (Chip) Sample. He is survived by sister Margaret Ann (Cinny) O'Donnell, son William Robb Sample and wife Lisa, daughter Elizabeth Fay (Betsy) Villarreal and husband Mario, son Thomas Lloyd Sample and wife Dawn and by grandchildren and great grandchildren.  A memorial service will be held at Grace Episcopal Church in Georgetown at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday April the 11th, 2024.