Fayette County has lost two giants (Atlanta, Fayetteville: home, schools, suburban)

[Newsboy]

FROM THE AJC:

Dr. Helen Fletcher Sams was often in close proximity to her husband; not because either demanded it, but it just worked out that way.
They graduated from Emory’s medical school a year apart, they practiced medicine together for 55 years, they even retired within weeks of each other.
Who dreamed they’d almost die together?
Saturday, not quite four weeks after Dr. Ferrol “Sambo” Sams Jr. died, the woman known throughout Fayette County as Dr. Helen, followed suit. She was 89. Dr. Ferrol Sams III, said his mother had been ill for some time, but her health rapidly declined after her husband’s funeral, adding “It was the longest they’d been apart in more than 64 years of marriage.

Dr. Helen Fletcher Sams, 89: Died weeks after her practice... | www.ajc.com

As I have often stated on this site, to understand why modern Fayette County is the way it is -- and so different from much of the rest of Metro Atlanta -- you must understand where it came from, and the unique personalities that made it happen. The Drs. Sams were among the very top of those who made a difference. They cared very deeply about the community and invested a lifetime of service to making it better -- from a forgotten, muddy backwater known as a haven for moonshiners in the 1950s, to the master-planned upscale suburban community it is today. Their influence was solely responsible for the decision by Piedmont Healthcare to build a hospital in Fayetteville in the 1990s, which has now evolved into the largest medical community in South Metro Atlanta. Sambo, of course, is known around the nation and world for his literary efforts, and one of the South's most endearing authors. But at home in Fayette County, the Sams family name has always meant so much more. It is prominent on street signs, public parks, schools and in the government arena.

In many ways, Drs. Sams were the first-family of Fayette County. They were one of a kind and they will be missed.

[tikigod311]

Always heard the name, never understood their importance. Thanks.

[arjay57]

The Sams family has been a great asset to Fayette and the whole Atlanta region. Dr. Ferrol Sams' "Run with the Horsemen" is one of my favorite books. He was a fine man.