Samuel George Fletcher

Sam Fletcher died peacefully on January 13, 2024 at the age of 95 years. He lost Nancy, his loving wife of 63 years in February, 2016 and is survived by a son, James Samuel Fletcher, of Burbank, California, his wife Rebecca and two grandchildren Florence and Leila, and a daughter Lynn Fletcher Gormley of Williamsburg, Virginia. His younger brother William Fletcher died in 2005.

Sam Fletcher moved to the Williamsburg area in 1987 to begin a second career as a shoemaker and crafts interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg. He was a charter member of The Honorable Company of Cordwainers, a group of shoemaking crafts persons and historians, and served as President of the organization for five years. In 1994, he authored the section on the shoes recovered from the brig Betsy for the final report of the Yorktown Archeological Shipwreck Project. During 1984 to 1987 he had worked as a shoemaker volunteer at the Old Bethpage Village Restoration on Long Island where he learned the craft.

Sam Fletcher was born on July 5, 1928 in Brooklyn, NY, graduated from Baldwin High School in 1946 and won a competition for a full tuition scholarship from the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation where he was to work for the next 38 years. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1950 with a Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering and academic honors that included Tau Beta Pi—national engineering honorary, Sigma Xi—research thesis, and Gamma Alpha Rho—aeronautical honorary. He was a member of Theta Chi fraternity. At Grumman, he worked as flight test project engineer and test manager of a wide range of aircraft including the S2F anti-submarine aircraft, A6 Intruder attack aircraft, Gulfstream I corporate aircraft, F111B Navy fighter, and the F14 Tomcat fighter. He continued his education while working and graduated with a Master of Science in Management Engineering from Long Island University in 1972. He retired from Grumman in 1984 and conducted living history programs on the Revolutionary War and shoemaking as a Performer in the Arts for Long Island public schools until his employment with Colonial Williamsburg.

Sam and his family were very involved in the Bi-centennial Celebration of the American Revolution and, after joining the 3rd New Jersey Regt. in 1972 and later the 3rd New York Regt., participated in over 100 reenactments and programs including the surrender ceremonies at Yorktown in 1981. Sam was Sergeant/commander of the 3rd New York Regt. during 1980-81 activities. While living in New York, he was active in Scouting for many years as troop committee chairman. He was also a member of the Setauket Presbyterian Church where he taught Sunday school, and served as Trustee, and Elder (chair of stewardship and finance) for multiple terms. In 1985, he chaired the 325th anniversary celebration of the Setauket church. He joined the Williamsburg Presbyterian Church in 1987 and served on the stewardship committee, Stevenson fellowship hall building fund drive and as an accounting teller.

He trained as a Virginia Master Gardener in 1990 and landscaped his yard to qualify as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. He participated in the Cornell Bird Count Program for many years and served as president of the Kingsmill Garden Club. He was a member of the Kingsmill Men’s Golf Association and worked in a variety of jobs as a volunteer for the PGA Michelob Golf Tournaments. Sam was also a member of the Kiwanis Club of the Colonial Capital for twelve years and, in 2004, became a member of the James T. Brady Camp No. 63, Sons of Union Veterans. He was also a member of the Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society. He became very active in genealogy and was able to establish contact with over 20 direct descendants of the Fletcher Family across the United States. Sam and Nancy very much enjoyed playing host to both William and Mary students and other seasonal workers from foreign countries in the hopes that they would gain a broader appreciation of America by visiting the Fletcher home and participating in family activities.

Sam’s and Nancy’s ashes will be interred in the church yard of their historic Setauket Presbyterian Church—very close to their happiest years while living in the house they built on Strong’s Neck in Setauket. We request that any donations made in his memory be made to either the Williamsburg Presbyterian Church or the Williamsburg Symphony's Youth Orchestra to be used to further the musical activities of our local youngsters.

A memorial service will be held for Sam on Friday, January 19 at 10am in the Williamsburg Landing Auditorium, 5700 Williamsburg Landing Dr. It is open to all friends and family who wish to attend.