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Sam W. Van Der Weide San Antonio, TX QCWA # 14566 Chapter 38 |
Sam W. van der Weide, born April 25, 1925, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, closed his blue eyes forever to be with the Lord on Sunday, March 17, 2019 at the age of 93.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Samuel Gabriel and Dana Rose van der Weide; brother, Jack Holland van der Weide; first wife, B.J. van der Weide.
Sam is loved and will be missed very much by his wife of 44 years, Renate van der Weide; son, Christopher Wilken van der Weide and his fiancée, Shannon Lee Seavolt; daughter, Onyx Rayne Perry; nieces, Jan Houston-Solari (Tom), Julie Newman, Jill Ribich (Tim Brookhout), Anna Newman, Emily Melson, Sarah Houston, and Dana Houston-Jackson.
Before finishing the last semester of Alamo Heights High School, out of "patriotic fever" (after Pearl Harbor) he enlisted into the Army Engineers and found himself in New Guinea dodging Japanese bullets and bombs, while constructing MASH-like hospitals and other facilities. He was assigned as a Radio Operator/Gunner on a half-track. He fought in World War II in the Pacific from 1943 through 1946.
He was a member of the 1876th Engineer Aviation Battalion and fought in New Guinea, Australia, Morotai, Netherland East Indies, the Philippines, and Japan.
He returned home to finish high school. At that time he suffered severe attacks of cerebral malaria, but recovered and enrolled at Trinity University, San Antonio, graduating with a B.S. degree in Physics.
He couldn't escape the ever watchful eye of Uncle Sam, he was commissioned in 1951 in the United States Air Force and was recalled to active duty as a Special Investigations Officer USAF/OSI to serve in Hill AFB; Utah, Mountain Home AFB; Idaho, and then Washington, D.C.
In 1956 and 1957 he attended the Air Electronics Officer Course at Keesler AFB, Mississippi. In 1958 he returned to civilian status, but still with the government working to a GS-14 supervisory Electronic Engineer and Senior Staff Intelligence Officer. He was on and off active duty for many tours.
His main base was at USAF Security Service at Kelly AFB, San Antonio, but the travels were absolutely exotic and rewarding. Most of his travels (TDY) were to the Air Staff at the Pentagon, CIA, NSA and various contractors in between. He shuttled back and forth across the Atlantic too many times to count.
Among the places traveled to and through were England, Scotland, France, East and West Germany, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Mongolia, Romania, Poland, Yugoslavia, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Kenya, Tanzania, and his favorite, the Seychelles in the middle of the Indian Ocean including Mahé and Astove Island just off the tip of Madagascar.
Sam retired as a Supervisory EE in April 1976 and went back on active duty and eventually retired as a Colonel (Senior Staff Intel) from Electronic Security Command. He then worked as a licensed Private Investigator and as Vice President of the Holland Oil Company, a family corporation.
Sam was a passionate hunter and Ham Radio operator. He first tested for his Amateur Radio Operator's License W5KRH in the FCC Washington, D.C. field office and became an Authorized Volunteer Examiner. He belonged to several Ham Radio Clubs.
Sam was a member of the Alamo Heights Presbyterian Church, a longtime member of the Beethoven Maennerchor (several years on the board), he served as Councilman for Hollywood Park, and was very much into genealogy.
The family would like to extend their sincerest thanks and gratitude to the staff, nurses, and physical therapists at The Enclave and to New Century Hospice.
The family will receive friends from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Monday, April 1, 2019 at Porter Loring Mortuary North.
Funeral Service will be Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 1:00 PM at Porter Loring Mortuary North.
Interment will follow in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.