Roll Call Tribute

(Published in) Laredo Morning Times (on) January 16, 2000

Harry E. Sames Jr.

Harry E. Sames Jr., 73, died peacefully in the company of his wife and companion of 53 years, Lydia J. Sames at Methdist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas on Jan. 14, 2000. Harry was a lifelong resident of Laredo and a member of the third generation of the Sames family in South Texas. He was born on Aug. 30, 1926 in Laredo, Texas the son of Harry E. Sames and Margaret Sleeper Sames. He attended Heights Elementary School, L.J. Christen Junior High School, and Martin High School. After high school, Harry, like many of his generation who had witnessed the onset of the second World War, enlisted in the U.S. armed services. He served in the United States Navy for three years, from 1944-1946, and saw duty in the Atlantic aboard the destroyer escort U.S.S. Pope.

He returned to Texas after the war, married Lydia Loving Jackson, his high school sweetheart, and moved to Austin, where he attended the University of Texas. He graduated from UT in 1949 with a degree in business administration, and returned with his wife to Laredo, to join his father in the family business, Sames Motor Company. Harry and Lydia were married Christmas day, 1947. For the fifty years following their return to Laredo they were prominent and active members of the Laredo business, social and civic community. Harry was the patriach of a large family and the head of the family business from the date of his father's death in 1955 until his recent retirement. As president of Sames Motor Company, he was responsible for the growth of the dealership and its eventual relocation from the downtown location at 1118 Houston Street (the site of the present day City Hall) to the Auto Plaza location off IH-35 and Mann Road.

His life, in many respects, reflected and paralleled the growth energy and spirit that characterized the mid and late twentieth century's unprecedented growth of the city of Laredo. The list of Harry's civic involvements is a testament to his love of his native Laredo and its people. He was a lifelong member of Christ Church Episcopal and served on church Vestry and in various capacities within the church over the years. He served as president of the United Way Community Chest (1958-1959), president of the Laredo Chamber of Commerce (1968-1969), president of Kiwanis Club (1954). He was a lifelong member and volunteer with the Border Olympics and served as its president twice (1955 & 1956). He also served as a Boy Scout Master.

In recognition of his various contributions, he was awarded the Guardian of Scouting Award in 1967, the Border Olympics Leonard Daiches Award in 1970, the Border Olympics J.W. Nixon Award in 1992, and the Border Olympics Golf Tournament's Chevo Goodman Award in 1992. Professionally, Harry ran his business with a conservative style that reflected his respect for his many employees, competitors and the local business community. His office door was never closed and his love for his many faithful employees never wavered. Anyone who sought his counsel or advice was welcome. He was active in various regional, state, and national automobile trade groups. He served on the Ford Dealer Advertisement Council for many years and eventually served as its chairman. He was elected to the Ford Dealer Council and the Lincoln Mercury Dealer Council. He served for many years as a director of Union National Bank.

Together with a group of Laredo businessmen, Harry helped organize the South Texas National Bank and continued to serve as a director of that institution until his death. In 1997 he was elected to the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame. Harry Sames loved life. He was a true son of South Texas and loved the outdoors. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and loved the water, the sun, the beach and golf course. His greatest love was hunting and fishing with his sons and hunting buddies, particularly his sidekick, Jesus "Chuy" Astorga, among the brush country mesquites or along the Gulf of Mexico bays. Tales of his adventures still echo around South Texas hunting camps. He had the good fortune to travel to many corners of the world with Lydia and their other friends in the automobile business. Harry was quick with a witticism or a quote from a favorite literary or cultural influence, and was known, at the urging of his children or grandchildren and with the appropriate social inducement, to quote Rudyard Kipling from memory. In his later years he annually treated his family to a lakeside water activity-filled reunion on Horseshoe Bay on the highland lakes of Central Texas.

He was also a fixture, together with his beloved noon lunch businessman's group, at several local restaurants and loved to listen to and tell tales of the exploits and foibles of his fellow travelers, friend or foe. No one who had the good fortune to get to know Harry could come away with anything but respect for his integrity, honesty and sincere interest in his fellow man. He will be missed by all who knew him. Harry was a loving family man. He was devoted to his mother, the late Margaret Sleeper ("Mammy") Sames, who came to Laredo as a bride in 1920 having wed Harry's father, the late Harry E. Sames. For over twenty years, the Sames clan gathered for lunch every Thursday at Mammy's house on Cortez in the Heights. As the years passed, none could be certain who might appear for that traditional lunch and guests often gathered around Mammy's table for stimulating conversation and extraordinary Mexican food.

Harry was predeceased by both his parents, Harry (Sr.) in 1955, and Mammy in 1990, and by his sisters, Mary Sames in 1937 and Laura Sames Callahan in 1970. He is survived by his wife and lifelong companion, Lydia Jackson Sames of Laredo; their four children, Mary Lois Sames (Townsend) Wright, of New York, N.Y. and Palm Beach, Florida, Hank (Elizabeth) Sames of Laredo, Richard E. (Triana) Sames of Laredo and John M. (Claudia) Sames of Austin, Texas; five grandchildren, Evelyn Ashley Sames, Courtney Loving Sames, Richard E. Sames Jr., Matthew Bruni Sames, and David Ryan Sames; nine step-grandchildren, Landon Romano, Elizabeth Romano, Caroline Romano, Louis Romano, Alexandra Romano, Victoria Romano, Townsend Wright Jr., Devon Wright and Donis Wright. He is also survived by his sister, Martha Margaret Harrison of Bryan, Texas; also, nieces and nephews. A memorial service is planned for Monday, Jan. 17, 2000 at 10 a.m. at Christ Church Episcopal, 2320 Lane Street, Laredo, Texas. Funeral services are under the direction of Joe Jackson Heights Funeral Chapels, 719 Loring at Cortez.

The Sames family has suggested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Christ Church Episcopal, 2302 Lane, Laredo, Texas or to the Cancer Treatment and Reseach Center, P.O. Box 1657, San Antonio, Texas or to the local charity of the donor's choice.