Samuel Howard Stapp

Samuel Howard Stapp

Crawfordsville

Samuel Howard Stapp, son of Everett and Josephine (Griffith) Stapp, was born July 13, 1942, in Columbus Junction, IA. Sam passed peacefully in the care of doctors at Edwards hospital in Naperville, IL with two of his sons by his side, on the morning of September 11, 2024.

Sam had quite a life for an Iowa farm boy. He graduated from Columbus Community High School in 1961, then joined the Navy in 1963 as a ‘cookie’. By the time he retired in 1983, he was training young sailors how to fix and operate machinery on nuclear submarines. He married Karen Fay Coon on July 14, 1965, in Ballston Spa, NY. During his time in the Navy, he and his family lived all over the U.S. and Scotland. After retiring from the Navy as a Chief Warrant Officer 3rd Class, he worked at nuclear power plants in Braidwood and Cordova, IL.

He loved to golf and fish for catfish. He was notorious for getting his boat in and out of the Mississippi river by himself and continued to do this well into his seventies. Anyone was welcome to accompany him fishing if they followed his guidance and gave him his cut of their catch.

He is survived by his three sons, Michael Kent (Melissa) Stapp of Joliet, IL., Kevin Alan Stapp of Rocky Point, NY, and Robert Dwayne Stapp of Wheaton, IL.; his grandchildren, Sammy and William Stapp, Kate (Justin) Williams, and Jaycee Stapp; his sisters, Barbara (Joe) Harbison, Judy Ross, and Linda Underwood; sisters-in-law, Carmen Summarsell and Peggy Stapp; brothers-in-law, Ron and Terry (Deb) Coon, Robert Matthews and numerous nieces and nephews.

By now Sam has found his devoted wife Karen, parents ‘Ike’ and ‘Josie’, mother-in-law Lois Coon, brothers Everett Jr., Bob, DeWayne “Mick”, Larry, and Kirk Stapp; sisters Mamie Spears, Darlene Johnson, B. Joan Matthews, and Janet Culbertson. No doubt, they are having a fish-fry and sharing a laugh.

There will be a celebration of life on Sunday, November 3 at 2:00 PM at the United Church of Crawfordsville, 105 N. Chestnut Street, Crawfordsville, Iowa.

Anyone desiring to make a charitable contribution in memory of Sam may want to consider causes in your area that are dear to Sam and his family, including Hospice Care, organ procurement organizations or any of the several Veterans charities.