Samuel King Broyles III

Sam Broyles died on August 20, 2019 after a long journey through Alzheimer’s Disease. Sam was born in Amarillo, Texas in 1953 and moved with his family to Boulder, Colorado in 1964. He graduated from Lyons High School in 1971, attended the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, and graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder with a degree in English. Sam later obtained two Masters degrees from CU, in Public Administration and Telecomm Engineering. He worked as a bartender at the Elks Lodge, an RTD bus driver, and a telecomm engineer for Nortel, Public Service Company, Qualcomm, and Erickson.

Sam grew to love Colorado, though he retained a strong attachment to his native Texas, to which he periodically returned on road trips he called “Tour de Texas”. An avid hiker, Sam climbed many of Colorado’s high peaks, with a special love for the San Juan Mountains. He explored Colorado and the west by cross country ski, bike, whitewater raft, and jeep.

Sam was a fine musician across many genres. Starting with folk guitar as a teenager, he soon discovered bluegrass and became an accomplished mandolin player. He later became enamored of traditional Irish music which he played on the bouzouki, a Greek instrument in the mandolin family that was adopted into Irish music in the 1960’s.

Sam married Pat Japenga in 1993. They continued to pursue their mutual love of the outdoors, but their strongest passion through the years was music. They built a community of musical friends throughout the U.S. and Canada, seeking out concerts, festivals, jams, and music camps. The Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas became an annual event that was not to be missed.

A short perusal through Sam’s bookshelves shows a man who loved humor—Mark Twain, Groucho Marx, Charles Schulz; literature—Robert Frost, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck; photography and film—Ansel Adams, Alfred Hitchcock, Rod Serling; history, anthropology, archeology, mountains, music, and trains.

By 2009, Sam began showing signs of a neurological disorder that was eventually diagnosed as younger-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. As the disease took its inevitable toll, Sam retained his sense of humor and continued to find joy and beauty in all the things he loved throughout his short but full life.

Family

Pat Japenga, Wife

Bette Broyles, Mother

Sam K. Broyles II, Father (deceased)

Melody Balk, Sister

Ken Broyles, Brother

Rocky Mallory, Brother (deceased)

Kim Wood, Daughter