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Obituary: Samuel B. Gingerich, 74, Lowville
Published: April 19, 2025
By: Provided by
Sundquist Funeral Home
Samuel B.
Gingerich
 Samuel B. Gingerich, 74, of Lowville died
suddenly on Wednesday,
April 16, 2025 at University Hospital
SUNY Health
Science Center,
Syracuse,
surrounded by his loving family.
Sam was born in
Lowville on June 28, 1950 the son of the late Beryl J. and Marion
(Jantzi) Gingerich. He graduated from Lowville Academy
and went on to pursue his Bachelor’s in Chemistry
from Goshen College and continued with a Master’s in Chemistry at Cornell University.
He went on to Montana
State University
to study Organic Chemistry and received his PhD. Samuel did his
postdoctoral research at the University of Nevada, Reno.
While in Reno he met and
married Erin J. Holmes on November
17, 1984 with Justice of the Peace Leo
T. Hettich presiding. The ceremony was an unusual one for Reno because both family and friends
gathered to celebrate it. The Justice of the Peace commented on this and Sam said that it was because he and Erin were
moving to South Dakota
for him to teach at a Northern
State University.
Mr. Hettich commented that he had graduated from Northern when it was Northern Normal and Industrial School.
After moving to South Dakota, where he went to work as an Assistant Professor of
Chemistry and then transitioned into college administration. In 1998, he
accepted a position at Colorado
Mesa University,
first as Vice President for Academic Affairs, and then as Interim
President. Following this, he moved to Columbus, MS
to serve as Provost for Mississippi
University for Women.
Sam returned to South Dakota to
serve as Chief Academic Officer for the South Dakota Board of Regents and
retired in 2015. He left retirement while in Alaska to become the Provost
and eventually the Interim Chancellor of the University of Alaska
Anchorage.
Surviving Sam are
his wife, Erin; their two children, Daniel B. (Alex Moog) Gingerich and
Matthew JP Gingerich; his mother, Eunice Gingerich; his siblings Jane
(Paul) Lehman, Florine Gingerich, Barbara Baker, and Janelle (Stephen)
Corn; and several nieces and nephews. He will also be greatly missed by his
Holmes family.
He is predeceased
by Matthew’s fiancée, Melinda M. Darling, his brother-in-law, Joe Baker,
his best fur friends, Buford the Cat and Brynn, and his inspiring
brother-in-the-kitchen, Mike Huttleston, who is finally teaching him how to
make the world’s best liver and onions.
Sam was a member
of the Lowville
Mennonite Church.
He loved the National Parks, especially Yellowstone
and Zion,
hiking, traveling, and was an excellent cook. He had a deep curiosity and
was always asking “WHY?”. He was proud to host family and friends and the
many rescue dogs Erin
adopted over the years.
Calling hours for
family and friends will be on April 23, 2025 from 3 to 5:00 pm at the Lowville Mennonite
Church. A funeral
will follow with Adam Houser, Pastor and Rev. Keith Zehr, officiating. All
are welcome following the service to a dinner in the church hall.
Sam was deeply
involved in every community where he lived and the causes he cared about,
including those in Lewis County, New York. To that end, memorials in
Samuel’s name may be made to the Adirondack Mennonite Heritage Association
(AMHA) to:
AMHA
℅ Charlene
Moser
7491 Kirchnerville Rd.
Croghan, NY
13327
Or online
at: https://mennoniteheritagefarm.com/index.php
You may leave
words of condolence at www.sundquistfh.com
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