In 1939, Sam escaped from the Nazi occupation of Austria and came to the United States. After being in this country for about one year, Sam was drafted in the United States Army, where he rose to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. Sam was a decorated soldier who landed on D-Day at Utah Beach, with Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., and fought in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. Sam served in the United Stated Army for five years on active duty and then eight years in the reserves.
Following the war, Sam received his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts both in Business from Michigan State University. While at Michigan State, Sam wrote his 1952 Master’s Thesis on the feasibility of developing frozen (a.k.a., T.V.) dinners. After college, Sam met the love of his life, Edith Uday Butterklee. Sam and Edith were married on April 11, 1954 and were happily married until her death on February 17, 2018. Sam and Edith raised two sons, Neil Butterklee of Ronkonkoma, New York and Barry Butterklee of Sammamish, Washington. Sam had a successful career in the hospital food industry where he served as the director of food services for several major hospitals in New York City. Later, he worked for the State of New York inspecting the food service of hospitals throughout New York State.
At the age of 66, Sam retired and he and Edith moved to Florida, where he took up portrait painting. Over the next 34 years, Sam painted hundreds of paintings and won several awards in art shows in Florida. Sam and Edith eventually followed their son, Barry, to the Seattle area.
Sam is survived by his son Neil Butterklee and his wife Arlene of Ronkonkoma, New York; son Barry Butterklee, his wife Doreen, and Sam’s granddaughters Hannah and Sarah of Seattle, Washington; his niece Mona Schlein and her husband Paul of Arrowsic, Maine; and his grandniece Rachel, her husband Chad Conley and their children of Portland, Maine.
Donations can be made in Sam’s name to the United States Holocaust Center for Humanity: www.ushmm.org/ or the Seattle Holocaust Museum: holocaustcenterseattle.org/
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