Robert Samuel Carroll died on Sept. 14 at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. He was 63.

Sam was born Dec. 31, 1959 in Oak Bluffs to Elizabeth (Bette) Flanders Carroll and Marshall (Curly) E. Carroll. He attended the Chilmark School and graduated from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School in 1978. He was an accomplished saxophonist and sang as a Minnesinger during all four years of high school. His old blue Willys Jeep was in the inaugural parade for President Lyndon Johnson and he used it to give his cousin rides to and from Minnesingers practice, driving from Menemsha to pick him up in North Tisbury.

Later he attended and graduated from Elmira College near Ithaca, N.Y.

He served at the Chilmark Community Church and for the town of Chilmark in various roles, volunteering on the fire department and as a special policeman during the summer in Menemsha. For many years he was an official during town elections.

Sam was installed as the master of the Oriental-Martha’s Vineyard Masonic Lodge in Oak Bluffs for the year 2001. It brought him much joy to be a part of this fraternal organization and to be a Freemason.

He had an abundance of positive, faithful energy and love of his home in Menemsha and family. He loved his mom a lot and spent much time with her. He also loved Ezra, his adopted greyhound. People loved seeing them around Menemsha together.

For years, Sunday family dinners at the Carroll homestead overlooking Menemsha harbor were a tradition that he savored for years. Bette always had at least three different vegetables at every dinner. The porch at his boyhood home was covered with wild birds. Sam appreciated and was knowledgeable about Mother Nature’s creatures.

Sam was kind and positive despite his poor health and the weekly transfusions he underwent at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital for his ailing kidneys. Eyesight was a challenge for him but he was riveted to the good words of Christ and saw every day as an opportunity to find good in the

world and among people.

Sam was one of those friends who would go out of his way or drop what he was doing if he knew a friend needed help.

He loved going to the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Fair to catch up on seeing family “on the porch,” listen to the Flying Elbows play bluegrass, eat corn on the cob with ribs and his favorite drink, Diet Coke.

Genealogy was one of Sam’s favorite hobbies and he and his cousin Jimmy Powell did a lot of research together, traveling to the New Bedford Whaling Museum, talking for hours and sharing files and photos of Mayhew and Flanders ancestors. For many years he researched family history and gifted his family with wonderful work he put together.

He was an accomplished artist who worked with all types of mediums. During some years his work was shown at Mocha Mott’s.

His unconditional love for others, positive outlook on life and forgiving demeanor will stand as part of his legacy that all would do well to remember for his outstanding example.

Sam was predeceased by his grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and brother Emmett Carroll. He is survived by many friends and family who cherish his memory and will never forget his smiling face and happy outlook on life.

A celebration of his life will be held at Abel’s Hill Cemetery in Chilmark on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 1 p.m.

Memorial donations can be made to any of the following or a charitable organization of your choosing: Camp Jabberwocky, P.O. Box 1357, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568 or info@campjabberwocky.org; VNA of Cape Cod & MV, Cape Cod Healthcare Foundation, P.O. Box 370, Hyannis, MA 02601 with a note on the check for benefit of VNA of Cape Cod - MV in memory of R. Samuel Carroll; Greyhound Friends, P.O. Box 549, Fulton, CA, 95439-8861, or another nonprofit that saves greyhounds.