Remembering Samuel Leonor
Our friend and the past president of CRAN, Samuel “Sam” Leonor passed away on January 28, at the age of 80.
Sam was born in the Dominican Republic on December 29, 1941, to Rogelio and Altagracia Leonor. He was the third of nine siblings and was raised in a deeply spiritual home where he learned the value of hard work and perseverance in the face of adversity. These traits shaped his character and were just few of the reasons he was so loved and appreciated.
Sam received a degree in business administration and accounting from Antillean College in Puerto Rico and served the Seventh-day Adventist Church for 42 years. He was a hospital administrator in Nicaragua; Montemorelos, Mexico; Orlando, Florida; Killeen, Texas, Avon Park, Florida and Puerto Rico. He was also treasurer for the Central American Union Conference. During this time, he was ordained to the gospel ministry, which was especially meaningful to him. Sam’s last position was a corporate risk management director for ADVENTIST Health Sunbelt (now AdventHealth).
In retirement, Sam loved being a part of and leading in his local church and serving as president of the Carolina Retirees Association Northwest (CRAN). If you asked Sam, he would tell you that his greatest accomplishments had nothing to do with his career, but instead were being a husband to Damaris for 58 years, a father to three children and grandfather to six. He was also proud of being part of a large and very close family and being available to those who called him friend. In his own words, his greatest joy was “helping others to get ready for the second coming of Jesus.”