<div>My brother Sam Winterhalder passed away on December 21, 2023 after a short, unexpected, unfair battle with cancer and at his family’s home in Novato, California. Sam was not ready to leave us, and his family and many close friends were not ready to say goodbye.
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<div>Sam loved sports, and he spent many years coaching, most recently as the Casa Grande Varsity Football Team's receivers coach. To honor his memory, his family is starting the Sam Winterhalder Student Athletic Scholarship Fund. This annual scholarship will be given to an exemplary senior student athlete at Casa Grande High School.
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<div>In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in his name. 100% of the money raised will go directly to the scholarship fund. Our real "goal" with this campaign is to open this up to the community with an opportunity to contribute if they wish. Any and all donations are appreciated. Thank you to all the friends and family who have reached out with words of love and support over the past few weeks. We appreciated them all.
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<div>A celebration of life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 5 at Parent-Sorenson Mortuary in Petaluma. 
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<div>A little more about Sam from his obituary...
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<div>Sam was born and raised in Novato and spent most of his adult life in Petaluma, a community that he loved. He graduated from St. Vincent High School in Petaluma and received his undergraduate degree from Dominican University in San Rafael.
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<div>Sam grew up playing baseball, soccer, golf and football. From an early age it was clear that his passions in life would reside on the field, and he thrived when he was involved in sports in any way. Whether it was playing, watching or coaching - sports were always where he found true happiness and meaningful connections. Those around him knew this about him and loved him for it, and no one challenged his knowledge of sports statistics or trivia.
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<div>Sam dedicated his life to being the best father he could be. He challenged his son Taylor to be a good student, get involved in a variety of sports and music activities, and most importantly, do what he loved. Taylor became an accomplished drummer at an early age, and Sam loved watching his performances. Sam was never as proud as when he was talking about his son, and watching him raise Taylor exemplified what an exceptional person Sam was, always putting his family’s well-being before his own.
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<div>Sam had a variety of careers over his adult life, but his true love was coaching. Over the years he coached little league and senior league baseball, youth soccer, CYO basketball, and eventually moved on to coach high school baseball, basketball and football at various schools in the bay area. He was known and respected as an excellent, caring, and focused coach. As a coach, he focused on making sure that all his players felt they were part of a team, making each person a better player, and teaching his students how to support each other and work together.
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<div>Most recently he was the receivers’ coach at Casa Grande High School where he had a positive impact on many young athletes. During his illness, Sam received dozens of messages from his players and fellow coaches telling him about the impact he made on their life. “Sam, you've made an impact on me and instilled valuable lessons in football that translate to my everyday life, like discipline, hard work, and patience. I am very blessed to have had you as a coach,” read just one of the many messages he received.
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<div>His family and friends will cherish his memory and miss him forever.
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<div><a href="https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/pressdemocrat/name/samuel-winterhalder-obituary?id=53954672" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/pressdemocrat/name/samuel-winterhalder-obituary?id=53954672</a>
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Sam Winterhalder Student Athletic Scholarship

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