We are sad to announce that G. Kenneth Sams, for many years a valued member of our department, passed away on September 17th. His long-time friend and colleague Mary Sturgeon writes:
Ken Sams was a good friend and an excellent colleague for many years. He was especially noted for his wry sense of humor, which his passing causes us to remember. I especially recall two typical examples.
When I flew down to UNC for my job interview, storms caused me to stay an extra night in Chapel Hill. Ken commented “if you lived here, you would not have this problem.” We celebrated our birthdays together for years, as they occurred in the same month. Whenever he could, he was fond of saying that I was 8 older than he was, neglecting to point out that it was 8 days, not 8 years. I am sure others will have similar memories that cause one to chuckle.
Recalling Ken’s sense of humor seems an appropriate way to introduce his full obituary, which appeared in the News and Observer.