Sam Deom was just beginning to discover who he really was before he died, said Sam’s brother Adam Deom.
Sam died in a two-vehicle accident on S.R. 145 Jan. 16. Sam’s vehicle was hit by a truck as he left his driveway. He died on the way to Perry Memorial Hospital.
Deom was born in Owensboro, Ky., Oct. 28, 1991. He graduated from Perry Central High School and was a sophomore undecided major at USI.
“He was a great guy. One that seemed to never have a bad word towards anybody,” Adam said. “He was generally a quiet, reserved kind of person, but once you got to know him, he had a personality that seemed to stand out.”
Adam said he remembers throwing around a football on hot summer days with Sam in the front yard of their house.
“He was not that good at it in the early years, but in the last few (years) he was starting to show me up,” Adam said.
The spiral he put on the football made me jealous, Adam said.
Football was not the only sport Adam played recreationally.
“I never saw more passion, more desire in an individual when he took to the basketball court,” Adam said. “He might have not been the best, but he made up for it in heart.”
Sam was at his best when he was with his friends. He loved life as much as he loved those around him, Adam said. He was just beginning to make his mark on the world.
Sam always had a witty comment and sarcastic way of saying things that made you laugh, Adam said.
“Overall, he was just a really genuine guy,” Adam said. “The kind that would go out of his way to help you. He didn’t care what he looked like or what people thought of him.”
“He is all a guy could ask for in a brother. He is Samuel Joseph Deom, a definition in itself.”
Sophomore Danny Jackson met Sam when they were assigned to be roommates last semester, and Sam was the best roommate he’s ever had, Jackson said.
“He was one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met,” Jackson said. “He could make you smile no matter what mood you were in.”
“I feel truly blessed to have had the chance to get to know such a wonderful person.”