It took me more than a week to write this post. It took me days to compose my thoughts. I had to stop and just let it sit. I also wanted to wait until the family had made the services arrangements. I could have said more, I’m sure, but my memories are more like impressions as opposed to specific events. The days at Festival Cinemas flow into each other, the times in the years afterwards mere moments of a larger whole. What’s left now is this feeling of sorrow, yes, but also of love and gratitude for a friendship that lasted decades because of one who is now gone. He kept us connected and we were the better for it…
My good friend Sam died on Sunday, June 30th. His son reached out to one of our friend group and she passed along the sad news to us.
I wrote a little and posted it to my Threads.
Post by @kiariView on Threads
I’m not sure when I will post this. I just know that I need to try and bring my thoughts to words. I hope that when I do finally post it, it’s seen as an act of love and remembrance for a dear friend.
I’ve known Sam since our days at Festival Cinemas. I’m a little fuzzy on which one of us started first but we were co-workers for almost all my time there. We became friends, of course, because there’s just something about cleaning out the auditoriums between showings that just brings you closer to people. And we hung out as a group outside of work– picnics, parties, friendly hangouts.
Sam was our wedding DJ and I was one of the bridesmaids for his wedding. I remember him DJ-ing a party for one of my cousins, which felt so random at the time. I’m sure if I busted out my old photo albums, I’d remember even more. If something involving the Festival Cinemas crew came up, Sam was surely part of it
Sam kept in contact with a lot of our fellow Festival Cinemas friends and in recent years, he organized get togethers at local eateries. Even though many of us keep in touch via social media, there’s just something about actually seeing old friends face to face. Sam understood best keeping that connection alive and I am so grateful that he loved us all so much to get us together. It was always so great to see everyone, to share our lives now and remember our lives as young adults as Festival co-workers.
Sam liked getting together and feeding us. If I didn’t remember that, I have pictures to remind me. I saw a recent post on Sam’s FB regarding how he learned to bbq from his dad and he was glad for those times with him. I remember the picnics in the park (and I know I have more pictures somewhere, probably in storage), a time or two at his parents’ house with the Festival crew. Getting together with Sam meant food was involved.
Sam was the DJ for our wedding that April day. I think our wedding might have been one of his first gigs? I would see Sam throughout the years at get togethers and other occasions. When he got married, I was one of the bridesmaids, along with other Festival friends. I don’t remember very much about the wedding but looking back on some of the pictures, I see a newly married couple with happiness shining in their eyes.
I am glad that Sam cared enough for our Festival crew to get us together these past several years. He rounded us up, had us come up with some dates and whoever could show up would show up. I wasn’t able to attend a few times but the times I did go, I was so happy to be there. I loved hearing about everyone’s lives and updates. I loved hearing our remembered times together. I loved laughing and eating and sharing with people I’ve known since I was a teenager. I still see those young people in those vests– blue and maroon at different turns, brooms and dustpans in hand to clean out the auditorium or behind the concessions stand shoveling popcorn. I see Sam herding the ushers into one auditorium or another. I see Sam in the projection room, making sure the movies start on time.
I can still hear Sam, telling us something to make us laugh. For me, it was his impressions. He remembered so much about our Festival days and could take us back there with a story. He even had some videos from those days. I wish I could have saved them when he showed them to us.
I am going to miss Sam. I’m going to miss his messages to our group. I’m going to miss seeing his updates on FB. I’m going to miss the gatherings he organized. I’m going to miss him and his stories.
I hope Sam’s family knows how much we all adored him. I hope they can derive even the smallest of comforts knowing that we all have the best memories of our time with him. He leaves a legacy of love and laughter and lasting memories. We were all so lucky to have had him in our lives.
Journey well into the next, Samuel Purisima. I will think of you with love and gratitude, always.
