Sam was a graduate of Jefferson High School Class of 1963, earned his undergraduate at the University of South Florida in 1967 and went on to earn his medical degree at the Kansas City College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City, MO. Once he completed his residency and internship, Sam returned home in 1972 to start his medical practice in Brandon/Valrico where he cared for his patients for the next 48 years. In addition to running a busy medical practice, Sam was also very active in his community. He was President of both Brandon Chamber of Commerce and the Missing Children’s Help Center. As founding member of Brandon Hospital, he remained involved as Chairman of the Department of General Practice for many years. He was one of the longest continuing staff members at Tampa General Hospital and was the Chief of Staff of Tampa Osteopathic Hospital. Sam was a huge advocate for aspiring nursing and medical students. He was instrumental in helping to establish post-graduate and intern/resident training programs at Brandon Regional Hospital, as well as supported the Foundation of Jersey College of Nursing where the Jonas Salk Lab was dedicated in his honor. He took great joy in teaching our future physicians by having students shadow him for the entirety of his career.
Although he was passionate about his work, Sam was a true lover of sports. He was a devoted fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tampa Bay Rays. He loved baseball so much that he sponsored his local little league team and could hear them play from his back porch. He worked very hard but always found time to sneak in a round of golf with his close friends.
Available for everyone in need at any time. He never met a stranger and he always had a smile on his face. Patients would wait for hours to see him, knowing that they would be treated like family once he came into the room. Sam was a wonderful son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, godfather and friend. He remains the epitome of who we all should aspire to be.
Sam was a member of Nativity Catholic Church.
Survivors include his beloved wife of 53 years, Janie Rose; his two daughters, Stephanie Scolaro (Larry) Nardelli and Jennifer (Scott) Goldbach; grandson, Jackson Goldbach; brother, Don Scolaro; niece, Noelle (Rob) Eubanks; nephew, Donny (Michelle) Scolaro; cousins, MaryAnn and Frank Favata, Paul (Shaunte) Favata, Stephen (Liz) Favata; sister in law, Elizabeth (Charlie) Wilson and many more nieces and nephews, godchildren and beloved cousins and friends he considered family.
Private Family Services will be held through Hillsboro Memorial Funeral Home. Entombment will be held in Hillsboro Memorial Gardens. A live stream of the funeral service will be available through Hillsboro Memorial’s Facebook profile on Thursday August 13th at 12pm
In lieu of flowers please make donations to St. Jude Children’s Hospital www.stjude.org
