Capt. Samuel D. Servadio

Sam left port peacefully from the heaven he built for himself in the Adirondacks, surrounded by the two women he loved most in the world, his first mate Barbara, his beloved wife, and his deckhand Ariel, his daughter.

Sam was both a captain for the state Department of Environmental Conservation, which he retired from in 2013 with 28 years of service, and a USCG-licensed captain of his and his wife’s ship, The Summer Wind. During his time with the DEC, Sam worked in Region 7 as a patrol officer for many years and later went on to become an instructor and Officer in Charge at the New York State DEC Training Academy. As an EnCon officer, Sam enriched Barb and Ariel’s lives with many interesting life lessons by bringing home wild animals for them to learn about, rehabilitate and sometimes keep as pets. Sam also proudly served in the United States Navy as a torpedoman for five years.

Sam touched so many lives in his all-too-short time on Earth. In addition to being an incredible husband and father, he was a beloved brother, grandfather, mentor, leader, teacher and hero to many. Sam loved to teach and empower people to help them achieve things they never knew they could with his kind and patient instruction. Sam always had a particular way with words and was known for his “Sam-isms,” which have been adopted and will continue to be used by friends and family alike. Already loved for his storytelling, after he retired he became a talented and prolific author, writing many short stories and novels inspired by his time in the Navy, as a game warden and his love of sailing and the Adirondacks. You can find information on some of his works at captainsamueldean.com.

Just a few of the people already missing Sam terribly include his wife, Barbara; his daughter, Ariel (Jazzmyng); his sisters Holly (Mike) and Claudia; his stepchildren Chris (Miriam), John (Kristen), Rachel and Alex (Christina); 11 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and many nieces, nephews and dear friends. His loved ones acknowledge that no amount of time with Sam would have ever been enough, as there was always more to learn from him.

In Sam’s honor, his family encourages you to never stop making mistakes so you always keep learning, to act boldly, to always be willing to lend a hand to those in need, and most importantly, to enjoy every day as if heaven was right here.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Adirondack Mountain Club (adk.org) and doing one thing to reduce your environmental impact.

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home in Saranac Lake.

Family and friends can also share their condolences and memories at www.fortunekeoughfuneralhome.com/obituaries/samuel-servadio.