Sam Prince

Sam Prince, 79, of Syracuse, New York passed away on Friday, May 28, 2021, with his grandson, Dean Jr., at his side. Sam was born in Greensboro, Alabama, on July 26, 1941, son of the late Columbus "Bud" Prince and Annie Howard.

Sam grew up in Alabama, raised by his grandparents, Peter and Queenie, loved deeply by his Aunt Sarah and watched by his Aunt Corine. Sam began his service with the United States Army in January 1964 and was honorably discharged as a Sergeant in the US Army Ordnance Corps in 1966. At that time, he transferred into the reserves for a period of 4 years. While in the reserves, Sam moved to Chicago, studied accounting, and received his machinist certificate from the Allied Institute of Technology in 1968. He began working at Republic Steel Corporation, which became a part of LTV Steel Corporation by his retirement in 1987. During his career, Sam opened a mechanic shop in Chicago before returning to Alabama. Sam lived in Alabama until 2006, when he moved to Syracuse, New York, near his daughter Portia and her family.

While in Syracuse, Sam shared his love of family, sports, and reading.

A lover of family, Sam strove to support the dreams and goals of his daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren. From encouraging his daughter and granddaughter's academic pursuits to teaching his son-in-law and grandsons about working on cars while talking about life. Although he lives apart from his siblings, Sam stayed in constant communication with his brother Billy and younger sister Vickie. Sam's goal was to show continual love to the people around him.

An avid sports enthusiast, Sam could oft be overheard joking with other parents while watching his grandsons excel on the basketball court, football field, and baseball diamond. A diehard Yankee and Syracuse University sports fan, Sam could be found in front of the big screen rooting on his teams. Yet Sam's love for sports didn't stop there. You could catch him on a Saturday, and he could talk for hours about that weekend's horse races or the PGA golf event. If Tiger was playing, Sam was sure to be on the edge of his seat. To Sam, sports were a microcosm of life. His resonance with the athletic feats of those he watched mirrored the excellence in which he lived his own life.

Sam was also an avid reader. He would often recommend The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley to those around him. As well as pontificate about William Faulkner's texts, retell the works of John Grisham, and discuss the legal work of James Patterson's Alex Cross. He read texts that reflected his vision of life and challenged him to consider it from various perspectives. You could find him outside with a good book, searching for a new text, or discussing his oldest grandchildren's latest reads as they shared his passion for the written word.

Sam was the widower of his estranged wife, Laura Larry Prince. He is survived by his daughter Portia Webster, son-in-law Dean Webster, grandchildren: Samuel A.G. Prince, Najwa Y. Webster, Dean L. Webster, Jr. He is also survived by his siblings: Vickie Prince; Willie "Billy" Haywood Sr, his wife Sarah Haywood, and son Willie Haywood Jr.; and Reverend Andrew Turner.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 5 at 1 p.m. EDT at New Comer Cremations & Funerals, 705 North Main Street, North Syracuse, New York. A private burial will take place at a later date at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 4069 Howlett Hill Road, Syracuse, New York.

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