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<h2>Samuel Ledcreigh Vance Obituary</h2>
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<p>Samuel Ledcreigh Vance, 88, of Huntsville passed away at home on
August 22nd of natural causes, surrounded by his family. He was
born in Louisville, KY to Ledcreich Stuart and Frances Ervin Vance
and was a graduate of Atherton High School. He attended Vanderbilt
University and graduated with a BS in chemical engineering 1958.</p>
<p>While at college, he was set up on a blind date with Mary Dolores
Patton by their respective best friends. While their friends were
making out in the front seat of the car, Sam and Dolores
discovered their mutual love of the songs of Tom Lehrer and (much
to their friends’ dismay) spent the evening singing songs like
"Fight Fiercely, Harvard”, “When You Are Old and Gray”, and the
classic “Be Prepared”:</p>
<ul>
<li>If you're looking for adventure of a new and different kind</li>
<li>And you come across a Girl Scout who is similarly inclined</li>
<li>Don't be nervous, don't be flustered, don't be scared</li>
<li>Be prepared!</li>
</ul>
<p>Sam and Dolores became engaged in 1958 and married on February 7,
1959. Sam and Dolores moved to Huntsville, AL that year for Sam to
join Thiokol Chemical Corporation, where he worked on propellants
and explosives. Sam and Dolores welcomed their two sons, Ledcreigh
Stuart in 1963 and William Huntoon in 1966.</p>
<p>Early in his career, Sam displayed a certain amount of bravado by
bringing home strips of propellant and on July 4th, shooting them
out of a homemade launcher. The strips would fire off at great
speed, and being flexible, performed exciting aerobatics before
burning out. This practice ended in 1969, when one of the strips
rocketed into a neighbor’s bush, vaporizing it on contact.
Fortunately, their home exterior was brick, so the damage was
limited to the foliage. After that, his boys were allowed only
sparklers.</p>
<p>Sam, being a man of the Silent Generation, began fatherhood
suffering from Stoic Male Syndrome. As his sons grew, his views of
life and family softened a great deal. He helped his boys with
math and science homework, did set construction for school plays,
and attended races run by his youngest, Billy. The first time
Stuart came home from college, rather than shaking hands, Sam gave
him a bear hug. Stuart’s response was, “Who are you and what have
you done with my father?” Later in life, Sam would tear up at the
drop of a hat.</p>
<p>Sam was a man of both refined as well as prurient interests. He
subscribed to Playboy magazine for almost 40 years, claiming that
he read the magazine primarily for the articles. He was a fan of
classical, folk, and Celtic music, and was a great supporter of
Huntsville’s public radio station, WLRH. He owned the entire
discography of Oscar Brand’s Bawdy Songs and Backroom Ballads but
held off introducing them to his sons until their late teens. Not
because he was concerned for their sensibilities, but because he
didn’t think that they would be able to appreciate the humor in
songs like “None Is Bigger Than Mine”, “Friggin in the Rigging”,
and “The One-Eyed Riley”.</p>
<p>Sam was preceded in death by his wife, Dolores, son, Billy,
daughter-in-law, Flo, and granddaughters, Sami and Cara. He is
survived by his son, Stuart; daughter-in-law, Teri; granddaughter,
Nikki; grandson-in-law, Maluhia; and great-grandsons, Kamakana and
Lanakila.</p>
<p>Sam will be buried with his son, Billy, alongside Dolores in
Spring Hill Graveyard in Mobile, AL later this year. A wake will
be held in Huntsville in his honor on Wednesday September 4th at
5:00 p.m. at his and Dolores’ favorite restaurant, Mangia Italian
Restaurant at 2288 Zierdt Road. Please RSVP to <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:ledcreigh@gmail.com">ledcreigh@gmail.com</a>
if you would like to attend.</p>
<p>Donations in his memory may be made to WLRH at
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://aptv.org/wlrh-donation/">https://aptv.org/wlrh-donation/</a>.</p>
<p><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.laughlinservice.com/obituaries/obituary-listings?obId=32928965">https://www.laughlinservice.com/obituaries/obituary-listings?obId=32928965</a><br>
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