(Sam) Steven Dougherty

“Sam” Steven Dougherty

Dec 19, 1986 – May 10, 2024

 

Beloved son of Sam Dougherty of Londesboro and Thelma Dougherty of Port Alberni BC, he passed away suddenly, leaving the world a darker place with his absence. He is deeply missed by his wife Susan and son Matthew, his dear friend Eric Koebel, and survived by his sister Lynn, brother Brian Dougherty and sister Karla Stacey of BC.

He attended Hullett Central Public School Londesboro, CHSS in Clinton and graduated from GDCI in Goderich. He furthered his education at Cambrian College in Sudbury studying technical theatre, graduating in 2008. At the age of 12, he was excited to join the Goderich Air Cadets, and was a part of that squadron, working his way through the ranks until he aged out at 18. He enjoyed running his own business as Hatter Sam on the streets of London, where he dressed up in his Mad Hatter costume to make balloon animals to put smiles on people’s faces.

Sam was a jack of all trades, master of many; and when he didn’t already know how to do something, he was a master of YouTube. Sam was part of two different maker communities, UnLab in London and Kwartzlab in Waterloo. He was always at his happiest when he had something to tinker with. This led to his employment at Inksmith, where he spent all day waving his magic wand to fix 3D printers.

Sam was a family man who enjoyed quiet nights chatting with his wife and friends, or teaching Matthew, the light of his life, how to be a little maker. Whether programming arduinos, camping or baking cayenne pepper chocolate chip cookies, Sam and Matthew had many adventures, and plans for many more. He also enjoyed building and flying RC planes on warm sunny days. 

The outdoors was a second home to Sam. Every summer he would look forward to traveling to music festivals where he was content just stringing a hammock and sleeping under the stars. An accomplished musician, music was Sam’s happy place. He could play a variety of instruments, including the accordion, the ukelele, various drums and more, but in recent years he was focusing more on the guitar. He had a rich and beautiful singing voice to go along with his talented playing.

Sam was an amazingly colourful and creative person who touched so many different lives and hearts. He loved wholeheartedly, and believed that it was his job to make the lives of people he cared about just a bit better in so many small ways. The sun shines a little less brightly in a world that no longer has a Sam.

Please join us in remembering Sam on Sunday June 16 from 1pm-4pm at the Knights of Columbus at 145 Dearborn Pl. Waterloo, ON. Sam loved colours so please feel free to wear colour in his memory if you wish.