Samuel Paul Widergren, outdoorsman and free spirit, took his life on 20 December 2023 in San Jose, California, aged 31.

On 24 March 1992 in Kirkland, Washington, he entered the world dressed in clothes he never tired of, healthy and full of energy. Sam was a happy kid, ready to have a good time. He was kind and generous, with an emotional sensitivity that would manifest itself in all our complex feelings: joy, sadness, awe, anger, craving, nostalgia. He was determined to get what he wanted and was clever in acquiring it. As an outgoing individual, he embodied the view that a stranger was a friend he hadn’t met yet.

At the age of nine, Sam and his family moved to Kennewick, WA. He was active in a variety of physical pursuits playing on soccer, football, and golf teams. He enjoyed pushing himself and taking risks with skateboards, BMX bikes, motorcross, and snowboarding. He graduated from Kamiakin High School in 2010 and completed a technical skills program in welding. As a young adult he spent many winters at White Pass, teaching snowboarding. He had an extraordinary gift for coaching kids with patience and care for the feelings of a novice struggling with the sense of balance needed to navigate slick snow. He also loved and respected animals, particularly dogs. He saw the soul in every living thing.

Sam’s home was outdoors. Besides White Pass and the Naches area of Washington, he spent much of his time in the area around Bend, Oregon. Wherever he went, he found water where he could whitewater kayak and fish. In 2017, Sam traveled to Nepal where he volunteered his time and used his welding skills to help a village rebuild a school after the destruction of the 2015 earthquake. Afterwards, he trekked throughout the Himalayas, experiencing other worlds and perspectives. He loved travel including other adventures in Peru and Mexico.

He is survived by his parents, Steve and Terri Widergren, his sisters Heather Dodge, and Crystal and Kara Widergren, along with a large extended family of loving relatives and close friends. Memorial events are scheduled in the Bay Area at 1 pm on 7 January Fern Cottage at Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area in El Sobrante, CA, and at 1 pm on 21 January at Zintel Creek Golf Club in Kennewick, WA.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to either the National Alliance on Mental Illness at their national, state, or local levels, or to your favorite organization for the shelter and humane treatment of animals, such as the Benton-Franklin Humane Society.

Sam lived an unconventional life on his terms. He developed a belief that all beings are spiritually connected and integral to God and the universe. While recognizing that not everyone sees the world the same way, may each of us have the strength to hold space and offer empathy to others.

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