It is January 2026. I did not know that Sam died in December 2024, until I saw his obituary this week. Although I only knew him for a few months when we were teenagers, he impressed me. He was intense, intelligent, and kind; I have thought of him often over the years. His obit seems lacking, so I am sharing some additional information.

Sam was adopted and raised in Orlando, Florida, where he lived until joining the U.S. Navy. He was an accomplished board diver and and an internationally ranked Chess Master.

I met Sam in 1965 when he was stationed at the Naval Communications Station, Washington, DC. He practiced his diving at the pool where I worked and we dated that summer and fall. While Sam was in DC, he continued to compete in chess tournaments and bought a vintage Hudson to get around.

After leaving the Navy, Sam attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. known for their science and engineering programs. After graduation, he returned to Washington and launched a firm which designed and installed large-scale computer systems. His interest in chess continued, coaching students and competing in tournaments. In a 1977 match, he competed against Russian Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov. He toppled the champion in four hours. (At that time, Greenlaw had a rating that hovered around 2,000.)

In a 1978 interview with the Washington Post, Greenlaw said, "I do all my figuring in my head and the chess board doesn't have anything to do with the game." His concentration is so intense, Greenlaw said, that in a recent match when someone grabbed him from behind he reacted by "throwing him on the floor . . ."

He said he believes chess is the best sport for thinking. "I don't see what people who lift weights get out of it . . . There can't be that much intellectually going on . . . . I have some trouble with long distance runners. Sure they have time to think, but running that long distance you just can't think that much."

Rest in Peace, Sam. You were loved.