Samuel Alfred Burchers Jr.

Sam Burchers, Jr., the last of the original Punta Gorda Isles developers has passed. He was 96 and died peacefully on July 24th. Sam, along with his former CIA buddies, Al Johns, Bud Cole, and a few others formed the small core of mavericks that changed Southwest Florida’s landscape. They started by developing PGI in the late 50s followed by the Burnt Store and Prairie Creek residential properties, Deep Creek, and Sugar Mill Woods. Sam later started his own successful real estate brokerage and development company and developed residential and commercial communities in Lee and Charlotte Counties.

Sam was an only child born to Eve and Sam, Sr. in 1926. Hailing from a small town, Yoakum, Texas he grew up near many family members. After high school, at the age of 16 with dreams of stardom, Sam left Texas for Hollywood where his 15 seconds of fame landed him a role as an extra in the 1944 film The White Cliffs of Dover. His next adventure found him joining the Royal Canadian Air Force at the age of 17 because of age restrictions in the US military. He then served in the USMC till the end of WWII. Sam again set off for California to strike it rich working a placer gold mine and writing short stories. Eventually he found himself back home where he attended numerous universities on football scholarships and wound up on the crew team at Rollins College in Orlando. After graduating from Rollins, Sam joined the CIA and became an operative on a small island off China’s coast during the height of the Korean War where he eventually met his future PGI compatriots.

After finally settling in Punta Gorda and raising his family, his interests weaved from writing, treasure hunting, travel, and coaching high school football kickers. Over his more than 30 year tenure as a volunteer coach, he secured many football scholarships for his players to the point of launching an NFL career for one talented athlete.

Along with his two sons, they started a successful publishing company and authored a vocabulary building book and series, Vocabulary Cartoons, which became one of Amazon’s top selling educational books.

Sam dedicated himself to his family and is predeceased by his wife, Marta, a former Mexican tennis champion. He is survived by his two sons, Sam III, his wife Karen, and their children Andrea Frohlich, her husband Chris, and David Burchers, as well as son, Bryan, his wife Mary, and their two daughters, Elizabeth Brust, her husband Matt, and Laura Burchers.

Sam led a full and adventurous life. He was generous, well loved, and loving. He will truly be missed. There will be a Visitation at Kays-Ponger & Uselton Funeral Home in Punta Gorda from 4 – 6 pm, Friday August 5, 2022 with a Celebration of Life to follow at 7 pm at Laishley Crab House; 150 Laishley Ct., Punta Gorda, FL 33950.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in the form of a check may be made to the Charlotte High School Athletic Department; 1250 Cooper St., Punta Gorda, FL 33950.