Story
I am saddened to tell you that my beloved husband Sam Luebke passed away on Wednesday 4/23/25. Words cannot express the loss we feel. Words cannot express what an amazing man he was. He loved me and our son unconditionally. He saw me for who I am and never asked me to be anyone but myself. He said I was like a Turkish Lucy Ricardo because of my “wacky plans and capers.” He was my best friend and love of my life. Sam loved our son Erik with full affection. He always told him he loved him and hugged and kissed him. They had many adventures together. Our son is 14 and starting high school next year. This is incredibly tragic for us. What gives me some comfort is that Erik knows what kind of man Sam was and what kind of man Sam expects him to be. Sam’s expectations for Erik are about decency, empathy, and integrity and never about the “outside stuff”. We are broken. Sam was always on the right side of history. He fought for justice and always was on the side of the mistreated and marginalized. I’m hearing more and more stories of what a brilliant organizer he was and how he influenced others. Erik and I are so proud of him. I trusted him completely. We used to joke that he had a second family because of his work travel and I could joke like this because he was the most decent man I ever met. Sam was like no one else out there. He was the wittiest and funniest man I knew. He had an uncomplicated faith that brought him peace and a connection to his father (who died when Sam was seven). Sam believed in God and the afterlife and inspired me to deepen my own faith. My hope is he is reunited with his father and beloved Auntie. Sam showed up for his friends and was so generous. Sam’s friendships go back 40 years! It’s a testament to the deep, meaningful connections he made. Sam was a force like no other. He was the least judgmental person I ever met. We all felt safe with Sam. I recognize your loss as well. Sam was taken from all of us. Sam loved traveling and fishing. He loved to garden. We recently got into hydroponic gardens and have a bunch of his seedlings. I don’t have a green thumb and am at a loss as to what to do. You can come over and help me plant them or take some seeds and seedlings and remember Sam. We had prayers and burial yesterday. Sam is buried in Frederick, near one of his favorite rivers, the Monocacy. There’s so much I could share with you about Sam but I have to stop. A few things Sam, Erik, and I - the Luebke family - practiced: 1) the Reset Button. Whenever we had conflict each of us had the right to call for a reset. We would say “Reset button?” And it was reset. Our conflicts did not linger - and I am grateful for that. 2) I once heard someone say that the things that bug you about someone are going to be the things you’re going to miss. I would keep this in mind when Sam (and Erik) would deposit their dirty clothes *next* to the hamper instead of inside it. Don’t sweat the small stuff! 3) see one another for who they are instead of how you want them to be. Sam never asked me to be anyone but myself. I felt fully seen and fully loved by him and that is the rarest feeling on earth and tried my best to give him that as well. I wish it for all of you. This is the last photo I took of Sam. Of course it’s us on a ghost tour in Apalachicola, FL. 4/18/25. Love you all.
Special Notes
Thank you so much for the meal train. I am pausing it - our freezer (and our hearts!) overfloweth. We appreciate your care and generosity during this time. Xoxo, Yasemin