Samuel Percy Maxwell
October 27, 1919 ~ January 22, 2005
Resided in:
Arden, NC
Asheville Butterfly Trail
Arden ~ Samuel Percy Maxwell, 85, of 63 Blake Drive, Arden, died on Saturday, January 22, 2005 in a local hospital.
Sam was born on October 27, 1919 in McCormick, SC but lived most of his life in Buncombe and Henderson Counties. He was the son of the late Samuel David Maxwell and Ida Renalda Wall. He was also preceded in death by three sisters, Ethel Chapman, Elma Harris and Hattiebell “Pat” Rhodes and four brothers, Arthur, Walter, Glenn and Will “Bill” Maxwell.
Sam served during WW II in the 8th Air Force, 303rd “Hell’s Angels” Bomb Group as a waist gunner on a B-17. He was with the first group to complete 25 missions over occupied Europe and was awarded the Europe-Africa-Middle East Medal with two bronze service stars, a Distinguished Flying Cross, an Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters. He was a member of the Caterpillar Club.
He was retired in 1981 from Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company, and later worked for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. He was a former scout master and was a member of Arden Presbyterian Church, where he served as a former deacon and was a past president of the Valley Springs Lions Club. He was a member of the Telephone Company Pioneers, the Asheville Rifle and Pistol Club, the Blackhawk Rifle Club, and the National Rifle Club. Sam was an avid hunter and outdoorsman.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Frankie Abbott Maxwell of Arden; two daughters Brenda "Britt" Bremer and Rhonda Latrella and her husband Pete all of Arden; five grandchildren and their families, Brittany and Tom Vandeputte of Cincinnati, OH., Doug and Karen Poehler of Greensboro and Pete Latrella, Jr. of Arden; a god-son, Charles May of Georgia; a sister and her family, Myrtle Grant of Asheville and two brothers and their families, Clyde Maxwell of Asheville and John B. Maxwell of Hendersonville; numerous nieces and nephews. He was beloved by family and friends.
A funeral service will be held 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, at Arden Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Ken Crabb and Rev. Ed Graham officiating. Burial will follow in Forest Lawn Memorial Park with Military Honors conducted by the Buncombe County Veterans Council Memorial Team.
The family will receive friends from 6:00 – 8:00 P.M. Tuesday at Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian on Long Shoals Road.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Arden Presbyterian Church, 2215 Hendersonville, Road, Arden, NC 28704 or to Valley Springs Lions Club, c/o Andy Aarons, PO box 371 Arden, NC 28704.
He was so full of spirit when he climbed up on the chair to point out the pins (Lions Club medalians)on his vast board, at the meeting in the Chinese buffet less then a year ago. He scared us half to death. Yet his footing was sound, and he was proud to show us his pride of the Lions, and our history.
Frankie & family, Our thoughts & prayers have been with you & Sam this week. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you. May God draw you near at this time & cover you with his wing. Just remember; Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In every way acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
We love & pray for you
Richard & Jackie
I just want to let the family know how sorry we are and that they are in our thoughts and prayers. Uncle Sam was truly a wonderful man. I was always very proud to have him for an uncle. I will miss him very much. He will always be in my heart!
Dear Frankie, Rhonda and Brenda,
Earth’s loss, is heaven’s gain. We will miss Sam very much, and remember him as a gentleman and friend.
Now, he is, ‘flying in the wild blue yonder.’
Blessings,
Tommy and Jessie Koontz
Loving thoughts and prayers are with you now, and always. May you rejoice in the wonderful years and happy memories shared which will remain forever in your heart!
Our prayers are with you at this time. Sam was a very close friend and very loveable. He will be missed.
SO SORRY YOU ARE IN MY PRAYERS
So sorry.We will be remembering the family in prayer.
My wonderful friend Sam: You have meant so much to me for so long. I know what a true ‘Southern Gentleman’ is because of you. I shall always miss those special hugs, but one day I will be there to collect. In the meantime, I’ll keep Frankie busy for you. Your loving Spite Alyce
Frankie and Family, Regardless of age, health, or any other circumstance we are never ready to give up our loved ones. The only comfort comes from a real Faith in the Sovereignty of God and the manifested concern of caring friends. Please know we are thinking of you at this time and will hold you in our prayers. We go back a lot of years to the WA Presbyterian Church and knew Sam’s Uncles Arthur Maxwell and Jack Wall.
Zunita and Joe
From our family and from the Black Hawk Rifle Club, our condolences. It always ‘made’ the rifle match for me to see Sam’s smile and get a hug. He was there when I first started shooting and I’ll always remember the help and encouragement he gave me
Dear Mrs. Maxwell (my other mom) Brenda and Rhonda. I’m sending you love and consolation at this difficult time. I will always remember that wonderful smile and the twinkle in those green eyes. Mr.Maxwell was very special and very loved,and will be missed.
So sorry I can’t be with you.
May God bless you in your time of loss and sorrow.
frankie pat and i are deeply sadden
at your loss.we are thinking of you at this sad time
james and pat chapman
Dear Frankie, Brenda and Rhonda,
What a great man, Sam Maxwell! I think God broke the mold after He made men like your Dad and mine. He brought so much fun and laughter to our lives and such wonderful memories for us to carry the rest of our lives. We will miss him, but yet, we know that he is in a much better place. You all are in my thoughts and prayers. God will comfort and guide each of you through this difficult but rejoicing time in your life. All my love,
Pam
By coincidence my uncle, for whom I am named, also flew with the 358th of the 303rd, but a bit after Sam left England. As a fellow member of the Black Hawk Rifle Club and Lion I offer my condolences.
Hap Rocketto
Our heartfelt sympathy to Frankie and family.
Truly sorry to see a good man pass. I hope he is on that great rifle range in the sky where everyone is on the first relay.
Sam and I met on a rifle range some where back in the 60’s (maybe Perry) while I was going to college in Charleston, SC and we became friends. Both of us were relatively new members of the Blackhawk Rifle Club, and he encouraged me to drive up from the lowcountry and shoot the prone matches in the hills of NC. I had a great time visiting and shooting with Sam and the shooters at the Asheville matches, and trying to get to know his cheerleader daughter. I will miss Sam and his wonderful attitude, and I offer my condolences to Frankie, Britt and Rhonda.
Frankie, Thou our days spent here are few, we are looking to eternity when we can be together again.
Love you, Joe and Mary
Colossians 3:4
Hi Frankie: I sure am going to miss him on our Sat.nite poker game.along with his great sense of humor. johnny
I didn’t know Sam, but to a fellow shooter and serviceman, please accept my deepest sympathy to the Maxwell Family.
Sam was always a good friend and a great smallbore competitor over the many years I have been privledged to know him.
Dear Maxwell Family,
We read of Mr. Maxwell’s death on-line in the Citizen-Time newspaper. We enjoyed being your neighbors at 52 Blake Drive for 7 years and appreciated Mr. Sam’s kindness and enjoyment of our grandson Trent hitting a golf ball in our front yard. Mrs. Maxwell we pray God’s grace and comfort will be yours in these hours and days to come.
In Christ,
My heart and prayers are with you all.
It has been almost 25 years since I first met Sam. I will always remember that he was one of the first people to greet you on the range and make you feel welcome with a big smile and a handshake. He will be missed.
Britt, So sorry to here about your dad. Your family has been in my prayers. May God comfort you during this time.
Nancy Robinson
My love to all of you. SO many wonderful memories were made by our families over the years. Wish I could be there for the service.
God Bless.
God Bless you Sam.
Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of the service. I only met Mr. Maxwell a few times at the bakery when it was opened and once at the house when Rhonda had a yard sale but what I saw was a wonderful, loving, caring man. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Please accept our sincere condolences. Sam was a super person and a true gentleman. He will be missed by his many friends and relatives. I wish we could have seen and visited with him more often these past few years.
As a fellow member of the Blackhawk Club, I will miss you as will all of our members.
Enjoy the big range in the sky where all your shots are X’s
I was very saddened to learn of Sam’s passing. We shared a special bond and many laughs over the years. I will expecially miss him at the Black Hawk match. Please accept my sincere condolences.
Special hugs to Frankie and Brit and love to the family,
Martha Kelley
Dear Frankie & Family:
We are so sad to hear of Sam’s passing. He was truly a great person and everyone’s friend.
We remeber how execited you two were going to the Airforce 8th Reunion this past summer.
He will be missed.
‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints’.
God’s blessing.