Samuel T. Pompili “Sam”
Pompili Samuel Timothy “Sam”, Age 81. Loving father of Vincent Pompili & Kimberly Binns (Brian); grandfather to Mercedes Binns & Alison Alicea (Esteban); son of late Sergio & Lenora Pompili; brother of Delores (Charles) Miserendino, identical twin to Peter Pompili (deceased), Catherine Sypniewski (David), Mary Koslowski (David) and nephew, uncle, cousin, and friend to many. Sam’s parents were 100% Italian. He grew up in Seven Hills Ohio, lived in Garfield Hts OH for many years, and later settled in Parma Hts OH. Graduate of Holy Name High School. He was a Veteran of the US Air Force where he received the small arms expert marksmanship ribbon, an AF good conduct medal, and the national defense service medal. He was part of the 28th Field Maintenance Squadron, stationed at Ellsworth Air Force base in South Dakota. He served our nation for 4 years before receiving an honorable discharge.
He began working as an apprentice union carpenter where he learned and mastered his core trade. Later he started his own general contracting business, Sam T Pompili Construction, where he could utilize his full skill set. He built garages, put additions on homes, remodeled interiors of homes, poured concrete driveways, built brick stairs, etc. He showed his son, Vince, everything he knew about the trades. Vince recalls working on job sites with both his grandfather Sergio and his father Sam. 3 generations of Pompili’s, getting dirty and working in the hot sun together is one of his fondest memories.
Sam was a gun, hunting, and fishing enthusiast. He helped codify a band of hunting brothers that started in the 1970’s and lived on through the next generation. Vince remains a fixture in this group as Sam handed him the right of passage. Sam was also a huge fan of Lake Erie Walleye fishing. You could find him trout fishing in the streams of PA, as well. He enjoyed watching professional football as a BROWNS fan and didn’t like college games much because he said there’s no defense and the scores are too high. The exception was Ohio State of course, he was always on that band wagon! He loved the INDIANS and Herb Score, especially with ice cream. Later he accepted Tom Hamilton and whatever they call themselves now. He liked the CAVS and got to see the 5’7” Spud Web dunk the ball live! He played the accordion very well. He even played it live on the Polka Varieties TV show in the 60s. At about 11 years old, Sam, his sister Catherine, and their classmates named the Parma City School, Valley Forge by entering & winning a contest when that school was built. He was a part of Ohio’s Northcoast Jitterbug Connection as he had a passion for dancing as well. He was in bowling leagues, gun clubs, and even enjoyed playing pool. He tried to convert the world to play Bocci Ball on the lawn instead of those boring courts. He never smoked or drank more than one beer and was a major history buff all his life.
Sam was a devout Catholic throughout his life. He strongly impressed these values on his family. When he couldn’t attend St. Charles Borromeo Church in Parma anymore, he made sure to get his weekly regimen of communion from a kind eucharistic minister of the parish who delivered the body of Christ to him. He prayed every night while he rode his exercise bike.
His daughter Kim helped take care of him and provided him with everything he needed to survive comfortably when he couldn’t provide for himself anymore. She took him to doctors’ appointments and managed his medication as well. He also had help from others like the nurses from the Veterans Administration, his niece Heather, and his son. He received the attention he deserved. He cherished his relationship with his late Aunt and Godmother, Eleanor Molleson, who was a guardian angel to him for as long as she lived. He relied on the Veterans Hospital for medical care of which he always said did a fine job. They even gave him new knees to go the extra miles.
Sam will be missed deeply by his family and friends. His 81 years of life had a positive impact on the lives of many people.
SERVICES TO BE ANNOUNCED AT A LATER DATE