Sam was a very valuable member of the chess community, with a kind and approachable character that made him loved by all. My fondest memory of Sam is, in fact, away from the chess board. I was walking home from work on a chilly evening. I hear the honk of a horn behind me. I turn around, confused, and notice a car pulling up next to me. It was Sam, who made the very generous gesture of offering me a lift the rest of the way home. That is a small but powerful example of his selfless and generous nature.