Sam Sachs passes away
Published on March 18, 2022
World War II D-Day veteran and former Lakewood resident, Sam Sachs, has passed away at the age of 106, just one month shy of his 107th birthday, which would have been on April 26.
Sam was an Army paratrooper who landed behind enemy lines as part of the 1944 Allied D-Day liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany. Sam then went on to lead troops in liberating prisoners of a Nazi concentration camp. After returning to civilian life, Sam became a school teacher in Southern California.
Sam shared his WWII story in this episode of Lakewood CityTV's Honoring Lakewood Veterans Brick by Brick series.
Sam lived in Lakewood for several of his later years and became an active member of the community, speaking at and attending numerous city events, including Memorial Day and Patriot Day.
Lakewood residents and the city teamed up for a massive celebration of Sam's 105th birthday on April 26, 2020, made challenging since it occurred during the early months of the COVID pandemic.
Thousands of residents of Lakewood…and people from throughout the nation and world…contributed to honoring Sam as a hero on his 105th birthday with a car parade, over 6,000 birthday cards, and more. See the Lakewood CityTV video of the celebration.
In 2021, Sam suffered a serious injury to his leg when he was struck by a car while taking his daily walk around the block in Lakewood. Sam recovered at a long-term care facility in Bell Gardens before settling into a senior facility in Seal Beach.
On March 14, 2022, Sam passed away from natural causes. His family told Lakewood city staff that they were able to visit with him during his final hours, that his final medical bout was relatively brief, and that he remained mentally sharp until the end.
The Sachs family says they are very grateful to the people of Lakewood, and they welcome any condolence messages that people would like to leave on the online guestbook page of the cemetery where Sam was buried: Mount Sinai Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills. You can leave a 60-character message on the Light a Virtual Candle page.
Condolence message on behalf of the city
On behalf of the city, the Lakewood City Council has posted a brief condolence message at the website above. View the original full message here.(PDF, 56KB)
The council’s condolence message reads in part:
To the family of Sam Sachs,
We thank you for sharing Sam with us for the years that he lived in Lakewood. He honored us with his presence and involvement in our community, and we were honored and privileged to have the opportunity to thank him in return.
We know that you are grieving with the loss of Sam as your father, grandfather and family member. On behalf of the residents of Lakewood, we extend to you our very deepest sympathies.
God bless you all, and God bless Sam.
With deepest sympathies,
THE LAKEWOOD CITY COUNCIL
Mayor Jeff Wood
Vice Mayor Steve Croft
Council Member Ariel Pe
Council Member Todd Rogers
Council Member Vicki L. Stuckey