Samuel "Sam" Zachery Danielson

He was born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 3, 1978 to parents Steven and Christine (Hughes) Danielson. Sam graduated from Chandler High School in Chandler, Arizona. He was married to his beloved wife Sarah Anne Schmidt on May 18, 2002 in Tempe, Arizona. Sam worked in road milling and construction for C & S Sweeping Services Inc. He is survived by his wife Sarah Danielson; children Zachary, Bryce, Daytona and Ryan Danielson; siblings Heather Danielson, Abigail (Kris) Juchau and Desirae Danielson; and his parents Steven and Christine Danielson.

Sam was more than just a son, a friend, a brother, a father, a husband and a leader. He was an example of what it means to be a good human being. Sam was resourceful, resilient, imaginative, innovative, ambitious, courageous, hardworking, always curious, committed, generous, tolerant, kind, compassionate and passionate.

Sam was born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 3rd, 1978. He lived life twice as fast as others his age. Right from the start, he was born 3 weeks early. As a baby and young boy, the first woman he loved was his mother. From the start, we were blessed to have him in our family and be part of his life. Sam was a charmer and we all cherish those often-humorous memories of him.

In first grade, Sam was head over heels for his teacher Miss Duffy. He thought she was pretty and smart! Miss Duffy was quite fond of Sam as well. During one of the parent teacher conferences, Miss Duffy reported that while other children were excited and talking about the nickels and dimes left under their pillow from the tooth fairy, Sam was focused on thousands of dollars, the cost of different pieces of equipment, learning about the IRS and ow to repair trucks. Miss Duffy gave Sam the "Hardest Worker" award that year and it is still displayed in his home.

At the end of the second grade, Sam and his siblings left the public school system and were enrolled in a parochial Catholic school where they thrived both spiritually and academically. His entire family was involved in the church and their school. Sam immersed himself both at church and school. He enjoyed making friends and was involved in the spiritual community and activities they offered.

Sam had a passion for reading! As a boy, his parents would frequently catch him under the covers with a flashlight reading a book late at night. Growing up, if he couldn't afford to buy a new book, he would reread it again and again. As an adult, he would read a novel in a couple days while working. One of his favorite authors was Tom Clancy.

Throughout his school years, Sam participated in several sports including baseball, basketball, track and field. He enjoyed riding his mountain bikes with his friends and even joined a mountain bike club. While living in Willoughby, Ohio, at the age of 13, he worked at Kleidfeld's Restaurant. He worked on weekends washing dishes there. Sam saved his money and purchased a Trek mountain bike.

He loved Boy Scouts as a kid and continues his involvement while his boys attended Scouts. While the boys were scouting, Sam struck up a friendship with David Herpe. They learned repelling and Sam was adamant about wanting to teach his sisters, although they wanted nothing to do with it.

The family moved from a small tight knit community of Willoughby, Ohio and headed for phoenix, Arizona. Sam attended Anderson junior High, in the 8th grade, where Sarah and Sam first met. Sarah had a locker next to his and Sam made sure he had an ample amount of chewing gum in his locker (something he was not allowed to have at is previous schools). This gave Sam the opportunity to offer Sarah a piece of gum and strike up daily conversation, which in turn, would become his future wife. Sam pursued Sarah for over a year before Sarah and Sam became a couple. He shared this story many times with his boys, "Persistence pays off and never ever give up on your dreams!"

Sam started working for his dad before he had a driver's license and learned through hard work, commitment to customer service and a strong work ethic, the business of C&S Sweeping would expand and thrive. One incident occurred when Keiwit rented a sweeper from C&S to use in Nevada. They needed to have someone show them how to operate the machinery. No one was available except for Sam. At 15 years of age, Steve sent him to Nevada. Upon completing the task, before returning home, Sam called his father, Steve, to let him know he was having a great time playing the slot machines at the casinos and he would see him soon.

He purchased his first rotomilling machine a decade ago and now the division has over 14 machines. His success is due to the way he treated his milling crews. he expressed several times, his crews were part of his extended family. Recently, the business purchased another milling machine along with two decked out trucks for his employees. He was truly excited for them and proud to be a part of it!

Sam's legacy extends beyond his individual achievements. It is woven into the fabric of our families. Through the love and laughter we share and in the stories we will retell. He taught us values that were important to him and what he wanted to instill in his children. His sisters' shared how Sam would give them pep talks growing up, helped them repair their cars and continuously loved on his nieces even when Sophie, when young, chomped on his finger....hard!

Sam was a devoted family man and husband! Whether he was playing one of his favorite board games like Monopoly, Ticket To Ride, or Catan. he also enjoyed a good game of Rummy, fishing at the lake and building projects with his kids. Every month, Sam would head down to Daytona's nail salon and have a pedicure together. They would laugh about the crazy color names. For example, "My Gecko Does Tricks", which was bright green. Sam also had a HUGE sweet tooth. There was hardly a day that went by where Sam wouldn't go without eating a bowl of ice cream or a package of sour Skittles. Christmas was one of his favorite holidays. Sam would search every year to find the tallest tree that could fit inside his home. You would always see Sam at his children's games, performances and activities. There were times he would show up in his work clothes because he didn't have time to shower and change. He wanted to be a part of all his family events! Sam cherished the evening dinners and Sunday breakfasts that they shared together and talking about what was happening in their daily lives. Sarah was considered his soulmate and he was hers!

Although Sam's physical presence is gone, his love and legacy lives on! He will forever remain in our hearts and be a reminder of the joy and love he brought us all! We cherish the memories we shared with him and will continue to honor his memory by living our lives with love, laughter and kindness, just as he would have wishes.

A visitation will be held at Green Acres Mortuary, 401 N Hayden Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85257, on Friday, May 30, 2025 at 9:00am. A funeral service will follow at 10:00am. A graveside service for Sam will be held at Green Acres Cemetery at 11:15am. A reception will follow at Green Acres Mortuary at about 11:45am. The Danielson family wants to invite everyone to the reception to celebrate Sam's life and continue to share the stories and memories of Sam and how he made an impact on others.

Services will be live streamed through this link:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU9_K8cQAPn_bpAlQHEWSiX0Ox2c6eDct

His family and friends will miss him dearly and continue to honor his life in the memories and stories that they share.