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At Country Day, Sam was a good-natured friend and able student with a strong interest in literary matters -- he worked on the newspaper, yearbook, and school play. Although he was young for our class -- he had a September birthday -- he was an accomplished tennis player who lettered as a sophomore and junior. In our senior yearbook we talked about his love for his motorcycle and his abilities as a guitar player. We thought he would do well at his college choice, the University of Pennsylvania. After his freshman year, he increasingly displayed what we now know as a bipolar disorder. LIthium and other drugs that now routinely control it were not available to him then. Fearing the stigma of mental illness would come to disappoint his family, Sam took his own life. His sister Susan Mesker remembers him to this day with great warmth and affection, "bright and fun-loving." If other classmates have similar memories of Sam, we hope you will add them here. |
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Steve Lord
I knew Sam well. Played tennis with him, went together to visit girls who were friends of friends but we had never met before, at their homes, lol. etc. He never at any time showed the slightest mania so I dont think he was bipolar, just chronicly depressed is what he demonstrated. He could throw a football better than anyone in our class with the possible excexception of John Mitchell, close, but didnt go out for football. We went out a time or two and shot his father's revolver at targets, who was the Chief of Police of St Louis. Sam was very quiet, hardly ever smiled and a loner. Seemed to take no pleasure in anything. He did me several big time favors and for that I will always be grateful.
Steve Lord