A. Gene Samburg

A. Gene Samburg, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of Kastle Systems, died peacefully on January 14, 2025, at his home in Arlington, Virginia. He was 83.

Gene was widely-recognized as an expert on electronic security. In 1999, he received Ernst & Young’s “Master Entrepreneur of the Year” award and in 2005 was named one of the Top Entrepreneurs of the Year by the publication Security Sales & Integration.

He was passionate about business and lectured on entrepreneurship for many years at Georgetown University and at his alma mater, Cornell University. He taught an extension course at American University titled “The Successful Entrepreneur.”

After graduation from Cornell in 1964 with a degree in Electrical Engineering, Gene worked for Westinghouse where he sold cameras and designed an electronic security system to protect the White House. The system replaced the guard dogs which were previously used.

In 1972, from his basement, he founded and patented Kastle Systems. As an exceptional salesman, his Kastle Systems replaced many of the once-common lobby guards and sign-in procedures in commercial office buildings. Gene eventually grew his business to become the premier access control company for real estate in Washington. His company used key cards long before anyone else and the term Kastle Key became synonymous with electronic entry.

After saturating the market in Washington, Kastle opened offices in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and in Sydney, Australia.

In 2007, Gene sold Kastle and eventually retired to spend his time traveling with his family and friends.

Anthony Gene Samburg was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on April 25,1941, and moved to Newton Centre, Massachusetts, when he was six years old. His parents, George and Hermine Samburg, owned a jewelry store, Read Jewelers, where Gene worked as a young man and honed his natural born salesmanship skills. His time in Boston turned him in to a life-long and fervent Red Sox baseball fan.

While at Cornell, Gene met his future wife, Lorrie Silverman, and they were married in 1966. They had two children, a daughter, Kim, and a son, Tom. Lorrie Samburg died in 1998.

Among Gene’s many philanthropic endeavors, he was a founder and senior member of the “Friends of the Gridiron,” a small group of veteran attendees at the Gridiron Club’s annual white-tie dinners in Washington. The “Friends” group was organized in 2012 to help support the club’s activities. Gene attended more than 50 dinners, becoming one of the longest-attending guests in the club’s140-year history.

As a Board Member of Arena Stage, he took on the Chairmanship of the Refinancing Task Force, brought together bank professionals to advise a strategy for paying off the mortgage and contributed his own business acumen to deliberations on financial security for the theater.

Gene funded research for pancreatic cancer by supporting the Lombardi Cancer Center , and he became the President of his condominium association where he created value for the owners’ investment and brought community spirit, too.

Gene was a pioneer in the electronic security world, a leader in the business world, a visionary, and a true mentor and friend to all.

Gene is survived by his daughter Kim Samburg Elmer of Denver, Colorado, and her husband Mark; and by his son, Tom Samburg of Vienna, Virginia, and wife Alyson; by grandchildren Skye, Megan, and Aidan Elmer, and by grandchildren Charlie, Cole, and Molly Samburg. He is survived by a brother, Dr. Jonathon Samburg, and his wife Mary of Essex, Connecticut, and a nephew Mark Samburg and niece Bridget Samburg. He is survived by his sister in law Janie Culos and nephews Robert Culos and Chris Culos. Gene is also survived by his longtime companion, Mickela Gay, of Burke, Virginia.

Services will be held at Washington Hebrew Congregation at 1p.m. on Friday, January 24, 2025.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to IPFfoundation.org