Samuel David Strahan

SAM was a cute little boy full of mischief. At age four, he would ride his battery powered Harley to get ice-cream and had a habit of collecting the neighbor’s mail and redistributing their letters to different mailboxes along the way. He loved action figures and video games. In one day, he would go from Batman to Darth Vader, but always fighting for the neighborhood.

OUR family moved to a country neighborhood in 2008. He was diagnosed with Asperger's in 3rd grade. His IQ of 129 and difficulty with relationships can be attributed to the disorder but despite the fact Sam found friends at Freeman. As a teenager, his love for his Gameboy and Nintendo DS blossomed into his love for Xbox Live. His favorite game this year was Minecraft.

HE had two big goldfish and adopted his cat Bella from the local shelter in October 2016 and adored her. He and his father liked to ride motorcycles and were always on the hunt for the best root beer. He discovered his love for cooking taking classes at a WSU summer camp. Sam would often cook meals for the family which earned him the self appointed title of family chef. He volunteered with Generation Alive and Calvary Baptist Soup Kitchen. He took pleasure in these activities and was well regarded among those in leadership.

HIS father bought him his first car that Sam was so proud of. He was looking forward to getting the driver’s permit that would afford him both more freedom and responsibility.

SAM'S dad died on Father's Day in a tragic accident with the family motorhome. His summer was a challenge but he enjoyed time at Camp Swelokan and in California.

SAM distinguished himself as a hero. In an act of bravery and selflessness, Sam confronted the shooter and no doubt saved a number of lives. Hopefully Sam's loss will be a catalyst for change.

SAM is survived by his mother Ami and sister Emily. He was preceded in death by his step grandfather, Gary Singleton, his cousin Vincent Singleton, his grandmother, Elizabeth Strahan, his grandfather, William Strahan and his father, Scott Strahan, on June 18, 2017