When my wife Rhonda and I first moved to Niguel Shores with our kids in October 2008, the first community event we attended was the Halloween Costume Parade. As I approached the old clubhouse, which was soon to be torn down for a new one, I spotted a tall, handsome, bespectacled man wearing a curly blonde wig at a bar serving wine. While I ordered, we shared a few funny comments and a good laugh about the wig. Little did I know that smiling man was Sam Johnson, a man responsible for so many good works in our community, and he would become a warm acquaintance for years to come.
We on the Maintenance Committee are truly saddened by the passing of one of the most recognized and respected residents in Niguel Shores. While there is more detail in another article in this issue about Sam’s wonderful life, we wanted to share with you some details of our own.
Sam served on the Finance Committee, twice on the Board of Directors as CFO, Chair of this Committee for several years, and after his second term on the Board, he returned to serve on the Maintenance Committee up until his recent passing.
Because Sam had been involved in so many major projects in our community, he was the de facto historian on almost every project that came before our Committee. The list of major projects he worked on are many, including the Nuisance water remediation project, Slope landscape renovation, Smart Irrigation Controller implementation, Relocation of pool/spa operating equipment, and Surveillance Cameras. Sam was very involved in the completion of our new Office/Clubhouse/Mariner Gatehouse rebuilding in 2008 and the planning of all street renovation projects. He knew everything about the maintenance and repair of the 13 or more miles of streets in Niguel Shores.
Our community will dearly miss Sam’s guidance and input, but most of all we will miss his dry sense of humor and his warm smile.
—Geoff Dunlevie
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