In one of my final

In one of my final memories of Sam, he was tearing out of town in a firetruck—his eyes narrowed in sunlight above a wide, wholehearted grin. That grin seemed carved into him by joy itself—etched deep by his boundless love for life.

I remember his rare blend of strength and softness, steady commitment to work, his love for his family, his kindness in a wide circle of friendships.

And what ground he chose to rest upon—beside the wild Snowy River, embraced by the landscape, doing one of the very things that made him feel most alive.