SAMUEL F. NEEDHAM

1935-2019

After a long battle with Alzheimer’s, Samuel Franklin Needham passed away peacefully on December 24, 2019. He was born on December 7, 1935, in Rockford, Illinois to Alfred and Marjorie Needham. After graduating from West Rockford High School, he attended Michigan State University, where he earned a bachelor of science in mathematics. He married Andrea Moeck in 1957, and they moved to California after college graduation.

Sam worked in computer programming and system design, and spent his spare time camping, sailing, and enjoying the outdoors with his growing family. In 1976 the Needham family moved to Texas, where Sam rekindled his love of tennis and played frequently. After retiring,

Sam devoted his spare time to teaching literacy and citizenship. He was a member of the Fort Bend Literacy Council and was named the 2008 Volunteer of the Year for Literacy Texas. Sam is survived by his wife, Andrea, and his children and their spouses: Beth and Tom Braun, Carrie and Ben Kirkland, and Doug and Lori Needham. He will be missed by his five grandchildren: Blake, Sam, Chase, Madeline, and Drew. Sam was preceded in death by his sister and her husband, Alice and Howard Nelson. He is survived by his other sister and her husband, Jo and John Nash.

Memorial service to be held on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at 1:00 pm at Schmidt’s Funeral Home at 1344 W. Grand Parkway South, Katy, Texas 77494.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Fort Bend Literacy Council (ftbendliteracy.org) or Camp Manito-wish YMCA (manitowish.org), two organizations Sam fervently believed in, or to a charity of their choice.