Samuel Paul "Sam" Carroll, 91, of Lacey, Washington, passed away on Friday, November 1, 2013. He was born in Kelso, Washington, to Floyd M. and Dove (Smathers) Carroll, on November 8, 1921, and graduated from Kelso High School in 1939. He served in the Navy from 1942 to 1945, including two years in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, and relocated to Olympia after the war. There in 1951 he married Dorothy Irene Hamer. Sam was employed by Pacific Telephone and Telegraph from 1948 to 1958 in Olympia and then went to work for the Federal Aviation Administration in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After a few years in Crescent City, California, he transferred back to Olympia in 1963 and continued work as a radio technician at the Olympia airport, retiring from the FAA in 1984. During his career, he received several awards for developing new techniques and tools. Sam was an avid amateur radio operator and bicyclist. He rode his bicycle from Olympia to Kelso for his 50th high school reunion, up Mt. Rainier to Longmire, and across Death Valley in California on one of his and Dorothy's many camping trips. His many travels also took him, with his wife and children, on several trips and cruises to the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East. Sam was a licensed amateur radio operator for most of his adult life and was active in local communications activities as well as being a pioneer in certain technical aspects of the field. He became the go-to person for Olympia area radio enthusiasts with baffling electronics problems. He was always interested in new technical developments, a trait he also applied to his hobbies of astronomy and computing. He was a lifetime member of the ARRL (The American Radio Relay League), the NRA, and the Capitol Bicycle Club, and was also a member of the Olympia Genealogical Society. Sam is survived by his wife, two children, and two granddaughters. He was a descendant of the pioneer settlers of 1850's Cowlitz County, Washington, and was predeceased by all his siblings: Floyd G. Carroll; Virginia (Carroll) Leach; Patricia (Carroll) Rahn; and Thomas L. Carroll, all born and raised in Kelso, Washington. A cremation burial at Masonic Memorial Park, Tumwater, Washington and a scattering will be held at a future date along with a memorial gathering to celebrate Sam's life. At Sam's request, memorial gifts to the donor's favorite charity are preferred in lieu of flowers. For more information, please contact the family at [email protected].

Published in The Olympian on Nov. 10, 2013 [Edited]