Sam Ortega

Sam E. Ortega, 97, passed away peacefully after a short illness on Saturday, May 30, 2020 surrounded by his family. He is predeceased by his wife, Josephine (the love of his life), grandson, Bobby and son-in-law, Bernie. He is survived by his sons, Sam (Susie) and Dan, and his daughter, Susanne, along with his grandchildren, Samuel (Heather), Kris (Cassandra), Matthew (Charlotte), Gloria, Lorraine, Nicholas (Nicole) and Merrisa (Jeremy). He is also survived by his great-grandchildren, Ashley, Rylie, Connor, Daniel, Joshua, Paxton, Caden, Ashley, Max, Nick, Caleb, Aidric, Oliver, Ozzie and Josephine. He is predeceased by his two older brothers, Jose Vicenté, Jr. and Gil-bert, as well as his three sisters, Amelia, Leonor and Elsie. He is survived by his sister, Irene and brother, Armando. He is also survived by many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews. Sam was raised on a dairy farm in Tucson along with his seven siblings where he had wonderful memories. Shortly after graduating from Tucson High School, he enlisted in the Army Air Corp during WWII. After the war, he married and worked for and retired from Hughes Aircraft Company (Raytheon). He took great care of our Mother throughout her illness as well as being our rock and foundation. He lived his faith, was a great family man, a loving and devoted husband and father. He led by example and taught us many life lessons. We all feel so blessed that we had him in our lives for as long as we did. We will be celebrating his life privately with just his immediate family. We thank you all for your love, warmth and understanding.