On December 13th, 2020, we lost a member of our study body and class of ‘23. A sophomore at Mayo High School named Sam Meeks passed in an auto incident. Sam had just turned sixteen that past summer. Many people at Mayo were devastated to hear the tragic news of Sam’s death. 

Though it’s hard to speak on loss, there were a few Mayo Spartans who were willing to share their stories about Sam. 

Trevor Anglin described Sam as a very loving, kind hearted, and selfless person. He was said to always have been the one helping others and putting his peers first. “One day, Sam and I were walking through the halls at Mayo, talking about some past event in my life that week that hit me hard. Though he made me feel better, he helped me get through my struggles, and he never left my side,” Trevor Anglin stated.

Sam always put every ounce of effort in and achieved his goals. An advice-giver, and a good one at that, when he heard news in his friends’ lives, he often felt for those people whether it involved sad or joyful news. “His hugs were the best. He was always so warm, and when you’re around him or hugging him you tend to feel the safest,” Trevor said. Sam Meeks was a guardian who protected all that he cared about. Trevor and Sam were known to get into trouble; laughing would follow, and then they’d get into more trouble. None of it was serious – just goofing around, being playful. Sam was known to be one-of-a-kind. Trevor stated that Sam had an aspect about him that just made him quite original. 

Sophomore Riley Siems described Sam as loving and kind-hearted. He made the right impact on people. According to Riley, Sam was possibly “the most hilarious and joyful person” she knew. He was always full of good humor, always telling jokes. Sam was the type of person who made everyone’s day better as soon as he walked in the room. 

Sam seemed to be like a big brother to everybody. He was there for everyone no matter what. One of Riley’s best memories with Sam involved the time when “a friend of mine and Sam went to a party, and we didn’t have a ride, so Sam looked around and got a ride for us with an upperclassmen and rode with us home to make sure we got home safely,” Riley stated. 

Sam knew how to have fun and laugh; always with a smile on his face, you couldn’t help but smile back. “I remember him always smelling good because he loved his cologne and jewelry as well.” The last memory Riley had with Sam included a get-together at Fright Farm where they all enjoyed each other’s company, as usual. 

Another sophomore, who chose to remain anonymous, spoke on behalf of Sam as well, explaining that Sam Meeks was a very caring person. There are “no amount of words to describe how amazing Sam was,” the student said. Sam was said to be there for everyone no matter the time of day. If you called, he picked up. “There was not a single mean bone in Sam’s body, and anyone who knew him could say the same thing,” the student said. Sam was like a big brother to everyone, who put aside anything in order to help. 

Sam Meeks was very close with his family, specifically his brothers. His brother Peyton Meeks described Sam as compassionate, someone who was so kind-hearted. Sam seemed to always know what to say, whether it was what you wanted to hear or not. He was one of those people you could always count on. Peyton also described Sam as bright, saying “he exuded a light that reached everyone who knew him.” 

Kiera Nolan, a sophomore at Mayo who is also Sam’s significant other had a few words to say. She described Sam as the love of her life, someone she felt so safe with and loved by. They had a bond she never wanted to replace. Every little girl has the dream of falling in love and feeling special to someone, and that someone for Kiera was Sam. “When I was with Sam anything was possible, I felt alive,” Kiera said. She explained that his interests were cars, music, sports, skateboarding, laughing. He also adored his friends and family. Other interests included his hats, hoodies, and most of all, his truck. 

Kiera’s favorite memory with Sam included “driving around town all summer listening to Taylor Swift with the sunset right in front of them.” The one thing about Sam that’ll be remembered most was what joy he brought to his peers’ lives. 

It’s never easy to lose a classmate, friend, or significant other at such a young age. These young students and Sam’s family will live the rest of their lives with the memory of Sam Meeks held closely in their hearts. 

Sam Meeks will truly be loved and missed by many.

Top photo courtesy of the Meeks Family

Second Photo – Creative Commons license – courtesy of https://www.draeger-langendorf.com/obituaries/samuel-christopher-meeks/