Charles Joseph Samas, 99

April 25, 2024

Charles Joseph Samas of Lancaster, PA, passed peacefully on the evening of April 25, 2024, to join his beloved wife, Anna Laura Samas, and his sweet Lord Jesus. He was preceded in death by his devoted brother, Lawrence Salvador Samas, and survived by his loving family, Laura Damiani, Elisabeth Martin, and Byron Damiani, Jr.

Charles Samas, a true representation of the Greatest Generation, was a remarkable and highly respected man that will never be forgotten by the many who loved and cared for him. Charles lived independently until his passing at nearly 100 years of age. He was orphaned at age 6, began work on a farm as a lodger at age 10, and began working in a textile mill in Williamsport, PA, at age 14. Upon turning 18, Charles joined the United States Navy in 1942 during WWII. He honorably served in six major engagements in both the European and Pacific theatres, ending with the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. Charles Samas was the last of the few living survivors of the USS Maddox DD-622, sunk off Gela, Italy, on July 10, 1943. Subsequent to the war, he joined the International Painters and Allied Trades Union where he worked as a project manager and commercial painter overseeing large and complex projects such as Boeing and the Philadelphia 30th Street Station. Charles was a 70-year Mason and served as a past Master and Chaplin to the Richmond- Solomon’s Lodge No. 3, of Philadelphia, PA.

Charles had a love for travel having taken his wife Anna Laura to parts of the world all over. He had a passion for art, collecting, history, birds, flowers, and his many, many dear friendships throughout the years.

Please join us in celebrating the life of Charles Joseph Samas on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, with services commencing at 11:00 AM at the Bachman Snyder Funeral Home, 7 South Decatur Street, Strasburg, PA. Family and friends will be received at the funeral home from 10AM to 11AM, prior to the service. Military honors will be held graveside at Lancaster Cemetery, 205 E Lemon St., Lancaster, PA, followed by a reception at his longtime church, the Lancaster Alliance Church at 210 Pitney Rd, Lancaster, PA. In lieu of flowers, please send a contribution in Charles’s memory to the Lancaster Cemetery at the above address or online at Lancaster Cemetery.