IN MEMORY OF A TRUE FRIEND--SAM DAY


It is with sadness that I reflect upon the fact that, three years ago today, I lost a dear friend and one of my very favorite people on this earth, Samuel Alfred Day. It is unbelievable to me that Sam has been gone for three years now; he certainly left a legacy that will continue to endure long, long after his untimely passing.

Sam was, without question, one of the most energetic, caring and unique people ever. He was a lawyer, a former high school teacher and principal, a wonderful family man, and a trusted friend. I cannot think of Sam without remembering his beaming smile and his hearty laugh. Sam loved life, and he loved to interact with other people. I know, from our many heartfelt conversations, that he genuinely cared about others with a passion that I have not seen matched by many. He felt things deeply, and he was not ashamed to share those feelings.

Sam was like a magnet for other people. His warmth and outgoing nature were obvious to those just meeting him for the first time. He could have been a dynamite salesman--selling literally ANYTHING--because people immediately liked him and were drawn to him. That was one of his greatest assets as a trial lawyer. He was genuine and inherently believable. When he stood before a jury, he did so with supreme confidence. I think that his confidence was borne both of the innumerable hours that he spent preparing and his natural rapport with people. He could relate to just about anyone, and he knew it.

I was delighted to read in the Courier Journal last week that Sam's son, along with a partner, was recently honored in Beverly Hills, California with a college student Academy Award for the production of a film. Spike Lee won the same award as a college student. I felt an immense sense of pride for my old friend's son, but I realize that my pride is just a drop in the bucket of the ocean that Sam would be feeling now if he were here. Anyone who spent any time at all with Sam quickly realized that his wife and his children were his life. He had many diverse interests, but his family always came first. On many occasions, when telling me about some development that had recently happened with one of his three children, his eyes would become misty with pride, concern, or empathetic sorrow.

Sam Day taught me many things during our years of friendship, and I still think about him every day. I suppose that I always will. When I think about him, I will continue to remember that smile, that laugh, and that warmth. Sam's time in this life was far too short, but he continues to live on in the hearts and minds of many.