Robert Bryan Sams

Robert Bryan Sams II was born in Wolfpoint Montana, where tired of the cold his parents determined to move the family south; they settled in San Diego, California within a year. Robert lived in south San Diego until he finished junior hi at Gompers when the family moved out to a home in El Cajon. There Robert began making friends with folks that would remain dear to him the rest of his life. He attended El Cajon Valley high where he tried wrestling and decided he liked Band and Art class far better. He had a big personality and was a standout even then. After graduation and a few stabs at college, he lived large and a little wild at “400K” with kegs of beer, motorcycles and games of Yominish on weekends until he was drafted into the Army and eventually sent to Viet Nam. The time in Viet Nam changed him. During this time he formed friendships with a band of brothers in the “Red Warriors” that have remained strong with their commitment to get together almost every year or two. He was highly decorated for valor being awarded the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars for Valor the Army Commendation and three purple hearts to name a few. He carried that experience in his heart and soul, mind and body every waking and sleeping minute of the rest of his life. After the service Robert married Jayne Rice and they had his son David. During David’s growing up years his dad was a San Diego Deputy Sheriff acting in patrol, the jail, driving bus and most importantly to him, a homicide detective. After retirement he filled his time with gold mining with his father, jeeping around the desert in San Felipe and collecting mining memorabilia and different colored rocks where ever and when ever he traveled. He was a regular at “the hook” at the Navajo Inn and joined a Jeep Club there and made buddies who liked to bend an elbow and share stories. At 70 he was diagnosed with cancer. To his great joy David found him the bucket list car of his dreams, a 1937 Packard that he dusted daily and drove to Harbor Freight. He fought the good fight for two years but during the third year his body gave out. His big heart stopped beating and the world got a little darker at the loss of so bright a candle. He is survived by is wife Jayne, son David, step-daughter Sarah, sister Sandra and nephews Bryan and Evan. A full military service will be held at Miramar National Cemetery on Sept 21 at 12:30.