Samuel Carlos Strok

Samuel Carlos Strok, of Woodinville, Washington, passed from this world on Sunday, April 16, 2023 and moved to share his life in Heaven at the age of 75. Born on December 5, 1947 in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Carpio and Esperanza Strok, Samuel was one of five brothers and two sisters. At the age of 16, he immigrated to the United States and landed himself in Philadelphia, PA. Spanish was his first language but Samuel was a quick learner and could also speak English, Russian, Ukrainian, and a little bit of Italian.

He was a caring and loving Father, Father-In-Law, Grandfather, Son, Brother, Brother-In-Law, Uncle, and friend to so many.

Samuel’s sense of humor, laughter, and witty joke-telling filled every room with his presence and light-hearted spirit. He would happily start singing any one of his favorite songs at the drop of a hat and was a man of many talents: resourceful, hard-working, problem-solver – he did it all to accomplish his life’s goals and dreams. Owning a Corvette was at the top of his list. Along with his brother John, they devised a business plan and opened their first Shell gas station in Pennsylvania. The dream became a reality and he was racing down the streets of Philly in a 1965 red, convertible Corvette. This propelled his journey as a natural entrepreneur and he subsequently owned multiple successful, independent businesses over the course of his lifetime including: Burien Transmission in Burien, WA, Cornerstone Espresso & Bakery in Redmond, WA and Gold Bar Antiques and Furniture, which specialized in antiques and vintage goods in Gold Bar, WA.

In retirement, Sam enjoyed watching Walker, Texas Ranger on TV, eating at Mexican restaurants, relaxing on his porch sipping his favorite Yerba Mate, watching the Seahawks win games and singing his favorite songs in his operatic voice. But, by far, his greatest enjoyment was spending time with his boys watching boxing matches on Pay Per View and cooking them up something delicious. He was a self-taught, talented chef/baker and excelled at creating unique and elaborate recipes to share with his family and friends: pastas, soups, BBQs, ribs, he did it all. Nothing was too complicated or over the top for him.

Samuel is survived by his daughter Donna, sons Samuel Jr, Robert and Mark, and his grandson, Van.

Please share your fond memories and expressions of sympathy through the links on this site, so that they may be shared with the Strok family.