Dr. Hiemie Simon “Sam” Samuels

Dr. Hiemie Simon “Sam” Samuels, 90, formerly of Gainesville, Florida, and for the past four years of Melbourne, passed away on Thursday, October 25, at Brookdale West Melbourne assisted living facility. Sam was born in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, on October 9, 1928, the youngest child of Samuel and Annie (Perachter) Samuels. He leaves a son and daughter-in-law, Mason and Diana Samuels, and their children, Naomi Villa and Nia and Tyler Samuels, all of Melbourne, and two stepdaughters, Jeanne Buschbach of Manassas, Virginia, and Cindy Tanner of Philadelphia, Tennessee. He is also survived by a sister-in-law, Helen Samuels. His wife of 46 years, Mona (Bradfield) Samuels, died in 2014. His parents, five brothers—Oscar, Izzy, Louis, Max, and Sol (Helen’s husband)—and one sister, Minnie, also preceded him in death. Sam’s parents and their three oldest children immigrated to Canada from Russia circa 1913. Sam was raised in New Glasgow, then attended medical school at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He graduated first in a class of 50. He then did a residency at Boston City Hospital, specializing in internal medicine. Sam practiced medicine in St. Catharines, Ontario, before accepting a position at the University of Illinois Health Services (Champaign-Urbana) in 1966. He met Mona while working there, and the two lived in New York and Ohio before relocating to Florida in the early 1970s. Sam and Mona ran a private medical practice for many years, first in Punta Gorda, then in Sarasota. In his later career, he served as a physician at G. Pierce Wood mental hospital and Central Florida prison’s hospital. In 1990 he and Mona moved to Gainesville, where they stayed for nearly 25 years. It was there that Sam took the naturalization test and earned his American citizenship. Sam enjoyed reading, monitoring the financials, and listening to music. He was beloved by his patients and highly regarded by his peers for his compassion, respectfulness, and expertise. His family cherished him for his kindness, integrity, sense of humor, intelligence, and fair-mindedness. A graveside service will be held Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. in Memorial Park Central, 4100 NW 39th Avenue, Gainesville, with Rabbi David Kaiman officiating. Sam will be laid to rest alongside his wife. Arrangements are under the care of Williams-Thomas Funeral Home. Please visit his memorial page at www.williamsthomasfuneralhome.com.