Sam Poulos Obit and Memorial Service info

[Carl Cepuran]

I'm passing this along. For those who've been around long enough to know Samor his daughter Leah or granddaughter Samantha, here is info you may appreciate regarding his memorial celebration and a glimpse into his life, much of it devoted to speedskating. For those that didn't know him/them and never had the opportunity to meet him/them, you might appreciate the info anyway, hearing about a member and contributor over time to the speedskating community/family you have become a part of in the years since Sam hasn't been as active due to his age and health. He was at the last meet held outdoors on Lake Ellyn in 2009 (see the photo attached), he loved all things speedskating and working with and being around skaters, especially outdoor skating, coaching and skating history. Please forward to friends of the Poulos family who would like to know.

It is with great sadness to relay the news that Sam Poulos has passed way. There will be a memorial celebration of his life on Thursday, May 3, 2018, between 6:00 and 8:00 P.M. at the Kolssak Funeral Home, 189 S. Milwaukee Avenue, Wheeling, Illinois.

 

 

Sam Poulos

Oct 22, 1920 - April 20, 2018

 

Long time Northbrook resident and one of its original advocates for youth, Sam Poulos peacefully passed to eternal life on Friday, April 20, 2018. 

 

Born October 22, 1920 in Council Bluffs Iowa to Thomas and Mary (Kokinos) Poulos, Sam grew up in Chicago, Illinois, attended Crane Tech, and proudly served our country in the US Army during WWII.  He and Army pal, Jim Smith, started an industrial sewing machine business in Chicago which served a flourishing garment industry after the war. As that industry relocated overseas, General Sewing Machine adapted to service all types of industrial and residential sewing machines for upholstery companies, dressmakers, furniture makers, trampoline and safety equipment manufacturers and other businesses throughout the Midwest.

 

From the late 1950s, Sam served the youth of the North Shore volunteering his time coaching, managing or assisting pony and/or colt leagues, and most memorably the Northbrook Speed Skating and Mid-America Speed Skating Clubs. When it was cold enough for ice, Sam and others from the club would “flood” the infield of the Meadowhill Bike Track, where many national and international champions first learned and then developed their skills. He started the Mid-America Speed Skating Club in 1987 because he felt it was important to have an opportunity to participate in sports but to use whatever funds necessary on equipment rather than dues.  Sam's advocacy for youth, his commitment to the development of young people into successful adults stemmed from his own youth – attending after school clubs where his participation in sports helped heal his physical body after falling from a 3-story building at 9 years of age, while developing his positive, problem-solving attitude and a genuine belief in and compassion for people. 

 

Sam epitomized volunteerism – giving his time willingly, selflessly, and genuinely.  His positive attitude, loving and gentle spirit encouraged individuals to set goals to reach their dreams. His caring and supportive manner instilled confidence and developed champions - not just in sports but in life.  His own children’s and grandchildren’s successes attest to Sam’s dedication to their individual preferences, interests and strengths. The hundreds of others whose lives were touched by his positive and creative training sessions (at the hill with the boombox) and the numerous successes they achieved attest to his unwavering belief in the value of every individual, the importance of treating everyone respectfully, and the faith that treating others as you would want to be treated would be reward in itself. 

 

Over the years, Sam also volunteered as an official at local, national, international and Olympic skating events, serving as timer, judge/official, and expert skate rocker/sharpener.  In addition to summer speed skating training, he assisted local youth on annual baseball trips to Canada. After his health declined, he looked forward to the many visits, emails, phone calls, lunches and time “his athletes” and friends would spend with him. Family was important and to Sam everyone he helped became a member of his extended family. The pictures on his website (now lost) reminded all viewers of his humor, his dedication and the love he shared with everyone.

 

 

Married for 75 years (“that’s a long time!”), Sam is survived by his beautiful, loving and devoted wife, Nelda, children, Linda (Ted), Leah, and Sam II, and grandchildren, Samantha and Mathew (Danielle). We have been so blessed to call him husband, Dad, Grrrpa and friend. Predeceased by his parents, brother, James Poulos, sister, Georgia (Poulos) Schwartz, Sam is also survived by many loving relatives, nieces and nephews, cousins, friends and hundreds of athletes who will always cherish their memories, blessed by the one of a kind, they don’t make ‘em like this anymore, “Coach” Sam.

 

The family would like to thank the staff at Rosewood, especially Tatiana, Agnes, Justina, as well as roommate, James S., and two previous care providers Freddie and Gerardo, for their compassion these last months.

 

A memorial celebration of Sam’s wonderful life will be held Thursday, May 3, 2018, between 6:00 and 8:00 P.M. at the Kolssak Funeral Home, 189 S. Milwaukee Avenue, Wheeling, Illinois. 

 

 

From Ernie Kretschmann - In addition to coaching and maintaining skates he was a dedicated official at the old Olympic Rink and when the PNIC opened he was a timer for Time Trials and major competitions until the last few years. He loved his skating family and always came with a smile, especially when his Granddaughter Samantha was on the ice. I should also point out he was the father of Leah Poulos-Mueller, Olympian with a silver medal in Innsbruck in '76 and two silver medals in Lake Placid in '80. Leah is also a Speedskating Hall of Fame Member.  

 

From the announcement of his Hall of Fame induction -

https://www.teamusa.org/US-Speedskating/About/Hall-of-Fame-Content/Contributors/Sam-Poulos

Sam Poulos has coached skaters from the local to international levels for over 70 years including age level State and National Champions, World Cup Members and Champions, World Sprint Champions and Olympic Medalists. His innovative ideas and laid-back approach make him one of the most successful and respected American speed skating coaches in the history of the sport.  

 

After 15 years as club Manager for Northbrook Skating Club, Sam broke away and started the Mid-America Speed Skating Club in 1987 because he felt the higher dues most clubs had started charging prohibited many people from participating in the sport.  To him, it was more important for anyone interested in skating to have an opportunity to get on the ice and not have to worry about paying dues. 

 

Sam started as a pleasure skater himself, buying first pair of speed skates as a teenager on Maxwell Street in Chicago – “a beautiful pair of Planerts.”  Sam skated on the ‘long blades’ at Clark’s playground on Jackson Boulevard, which was flooded to host winter ice sports.

 

The Poulos family began competing in speedskating in 1958 and soon joined the Northbrook Skating Club where Sam served as the Northbrook Skating Club’s President from 1960-1961 and the club’s manager for the next 15 years.  For seven straight years, skaters from the Northbrook Skating Club earned National Championship titles.

 

Annually, Northbrook Skating Club successfully hosted the North Shore Open, which always attracted the best skaters.  To prepare for practice and meets, Sam was one of the faithful who would get up at 2 or 3 am to go help flood the rink at Meadowhill Park. During pack-style meets, Sam’s wife, Nelda, would tend to the concessions – making and serving sloppy joes and hot chocolate.  

 

Sam and Nelda were always supportive and encouraging of not only their own children, but all the skaters, often driving to the meets with a carload of skaters.

 

Sam also officiated numerous pack-style skating meets throughout the years as judge/official, timer and skate sharpener.

 

Sam coached his daughter, Leah, who went on to become an Olympic Silver Medalist and World Sprint Champion.

 

His son, Sam II, also a former speed skater, went on to play football and baseball at Northwestern, and held Big Ten records for passes caught, points scored. Sam coached Sam II for many years in Little League.

 

Sam’s famous summer dry-land training workouts were open to all. Sam used unique techniques including timed, metronomic ‘beeps’ at tempo to accompany hill workouts and dry skating “the track” to a Latin beat for up to 3000 meters.  These workouts were well attended and were well known in the Midwest. This “skating-specific training” contributed to better results for participating skaters of all levels. Shani Davis often attended these workouts and dubbed Sam the LBC-“Laid Back Coach”. Although the hill workouts could be grueling, many of the days and evenings were enchanting with many generations of skaters stopping in to show support for the current participants and chat with Sam.

 

Sam believed in all of the skaters that he coached on the ice and off, on the hills and off. In turn, these skaters learned how to believe in themselves.

 

He was inducted into the National Speedskating Hall of Fame on May 16, 2015 in Minneapolis, MN.