Robert Franklin Samples was a Knoxville leader in both business and community concerns. He died on July 21, 2024, at the age of 87. Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Diana Carter Samples.
Let’s look at Bob’s three careers: After graduating from the University of Tennessee and serving in the Air National Guard for four years, he joined the management leadership program at Standard Knitting Mills. He then became the executive director of the East Tennessee Heart Association for 20 years. Later he joined his wife’s family’s real estate company, John P. Carter Co. Inc., for another 20 years.
In the community, Bob Samples was among the founders of The Episcopal School of Knoxville (ESK) and The Community School of the Arts. He served as a board member, officer or president of Dale Avenue Settlement House, Knox County Health Council, Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, United Way and Knox Heritage.
He had perfect attendance at Rotary (40-plus years) and was president of North Knoxville Rotary while with the Heart Association and president of the Rotary Club of Knoxville in later years.
These achievements came despite the early death of his parents which split the three brothers into foster homes when Bob was just 14.
His obituary relates a good story: Bob had an outstanding singing voice with perfect pitch. He began singing in the Adult Choir of First Presbyterian Church on his fifth birthday before he could read. The choir director made the phonetic sounds under the musical notes. He retired from this same choir on his 78th birthday – making 73 years of continuous singing in the choir. He also served as a deacon, elder, officer and treasurer of First Presbyterian Church.
Bob and Diana spent 3-½ years cleaning out and preserving of the contents of her Lutz great-grandparents’ 1890 home, “Historic Westwood,” which is also his Franklin family home. They recently were voted Knox Heritage’s 2024 Volunteers of the Year.
Services will be on Saturday, August 10, at 2:30 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, 413 Cumberland Avenue, Knoxville. Reception to follow at his family’s home, “Historic Westwood,” 3425 Kingston Pike, Knoxville. Full obituary is here.