Paul Joseph Samoska, 84, passed away peacefully on Nov. 21, 2021 at his home in Kingman, AZ after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Sandee, his loving wife and soulmate of 61 years, and his dog, Bear, were at his side.
Paul was born to Joseph and Elizabeth Samoska in Chicago, Ill. He lived near Marquette Park where he fished in the summer and went sledding in the winter. Paul’s family moved to Tucson, AZ in 1951.
He attended Tucson High where he was a member of the Rifle Team. He brought his rifle to school on the school bus, and the team met at the gun range in the basement and bought their ammo in the school bookstore.
He attended the University of Arizona where he was a member of the ROTC and the Pershing Rifles.
He drove a tank for many years in the Army National Guard, later switching to the Air National Guard where he served for several years so he could spend more time with his girlfriend and his car rather than a tank.
He met and married Sandee Krueger in 1960 in Tucson. Paul was a Parts Dept. Manager for Dodge and Chrysler for over 25 years, and partly in Southern California and later in Las Vegas for 17 years. Paul and Sandee moved to Grand Junction, Colorado in 1991, taking over a Frontier Adjusters franchise. Paul handled all the auto and truck claims, and the business handled claims all over southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah as well as Monument Valley, seeing some of God’s beautiful country.
Paul’s hobbies, besides being an avid gun collector, were cars and hunting. Paul purchased his first Jaguar – a 140 Sedan – while in college. He painted it Candy Apple Red. He raced it many times in Arizona, as well as showed it in car shows, winning most of them.
The story goes that when Paul and Sandee were dating, they went to a car show where Paul was showing his 140 Sedan. Sandee leaned back against the car and Paul put his arm gently around her and moved her away from the car. There was a gasp from his friends, and one girl turned to Sandee, saying, “My God, Paul’s in love with you.” Sandee laughed. The girl continued with “If he wasn’t in love with you, he would be yelling at you to get off his car.” Turned out, she was right.
In later years, Paul and Sandee had a 1971 E-Type V12 Jaguar that Paul raced and they showed in many Concours. They won first place in every one that they entered. Later, they had a 1983 XJ6 Sedan with which they won first place in the Jaguar Clubs of North America Regional Championship – Southwest Region in 1989.
Paul was a big game hunter. He hunted buffalo in South Dakota in 1991 on the ranch where they filmed “Dances with Wolves.” He hunted bear in Canada and dahl sheep, Russian boar, and red stag in Texas. In 2001, Paul went on safari in Botswana hunting kudu, impala, wildebeest, and zebra.
Paul and Sandee traveled several times to London, around England, Paris, and did a bus tour of Europe as well as 17 cruises that included the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Alaska, the Panama Canal, Hawaii, Scandinavia, and Russia.
Paul was proud to be a Life and Endowment Member of the NRA and the Second Amendment Foundation.
Paul was proceeded in death by his father Joseph Samoska, his mother Elizabeth Samoska, and his nephews Charles, Kenneth, and Gregory Mercer. Paul is survived by his beloved wife Sandee, his loyal dog Bear, his sister Felicia Stickney, his niece Adriana Mercer Montgomery, as well as numerous other nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Paul touched many people throughout his life. His dry humor, kind heart, smile, and beautiful blue eyes have surely left a lasting impression. He was one of a kind and will be missed dearly.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. If you wish to honor Paul, please make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at 322 Eighth Ave., 16th Floor, New York, NY 10001; the Tunnels to Towers Foundation at 2361 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10306; or the NRA Foundation at 11250 Waples Mill Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030.
