Marion Augustine Sams

Marion Augustine Sams, age 96, died peacefully at home on July 4, 2020. Marion was born on April 5, 1924 at the home of his parents, Augustine and Eileen Dodd Sams, on North Decatur Road and lived in the Atlanta area all his life. He was the oldest of four brothers, all of whom were avid hunters and fishermen and spent summers on Lake Blue Ridge in the mountains of North Georgia.

Marion graduated from Druid Hills High School in 1941. He attended the Baylor School in Chattanooga the following year and then enrolled at Georgia Tech to study engineering. He became a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. After a short time at Georgia Tech, Marion enlisted in the U.S. Army and attended the Army Specialized Training Program. He proudly served as a G.I. Private First Class in the field artillery as a heavy machine gunner and earned three battle stars for campaigns in the Battle of the Bulge, Rhineland and Central Europe. He served as a Military Policeman in Austria after the war ended. Later in his civilian life, Marion joined the Navy Judge Advocate reserve where he served for thirty-four years and retired with the rank of Captain.

After Marion's service in WWII, he returned to college at Emory. He met Dorothy Vansant in the library one day, and that was it. They married in 1950. That same year, he graduated with an AB and LLB (DL) degree in law and joined a law practice with his father specializing in real estate, probate and commercial law. He became a member of the Atlanta, Dekalb and Cobb County Bar Associations.

Marion’s greatest love besides Dorothy was music. He began playing the clarinet in grade school and was a member of the In and About Atlanta Orchestra for high school students. He picked up the saxophone while attending Druid Hills and played in the school band. His saxophone went quiet while he served in the Army, started practicing law, and started a family. But in 1960, Marion and a group of Atlanta area businessmen founded the Modernaires, a big band orchestra that took its name from a vocal group that once sang with Glenn Miller. Through the years, Marion also played alto sax, tenor sax and clarinet with the Roswell and Sandy Springs New Horizons Bands and the Mount Bethel UMC Orchestra. Marion reluctantly retired his instruments at the age of 92.

In addition to music, fishing and hunting, Marion loved his time in Scouting, earning his Eagle Scout Badge and later serving as Scoutmaster. He earned his private pilot's license in the early 1980's, enjoyed scuba diving and took a Power Squadrons course to navigate sailboats with his buddies. Marion also participated in the Civilian Club, Optimist Club, and Kiwanian International. He was an active member and Elder of Peachtree Presbyterian Church and later a member of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church. He was a devoted son, husband, father and grandfather. He is predeceased by brothers Charles and Edward, and survived by brother Richard. He is also survived by his wife Dorothy, with whom he recently celebrated 70 years of marriage. He is also survived by children Eileen Vansant Sams, Julia Sams McIntyre (John W. McIntyre) and Robert Augustine Sams, and seven grandchildren.

The family is grateful to Dr. Kirk Paulk for his dedicated care and to Visiting Angels of Roswell for their compassionate support.

The family plans a private memorial service. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Salvation Army.