Dwight S. “Sam” Reyburn 1935-2009

He was born on Oct. 5, 1935 in St. Louis, Mo., the eldest son of the late Sam and Suzanne Reyburn. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Mary Apel Reyburn; his daughter Kathryn Reyburn Roche and her husband, Philip, two granddaughters, Miranda and Natalie Roche, all of Darien, Conn.; his brothers, Roger P. Reyburn and his wife, Elizabeth of Long Beach, Calif.; Peter L. Reyburn and his wife, Patricia of Estero, Fla., and David W. Reyburn and his wife, Karen of Kansas City, Mo.; a brother-in-law, Frank J. Apel, Jr. of Mililani, Hawaii; as well as many beloved cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Sam grew up in Winston, Mo., attending elementary and high school there. His family, friends, and teachers helped him develop the strong set of principles which guided him through his life. He became a member of the Winston Methodist Church and has had a long lasting affiliation with the Winston chapter of the Masonic Lodge. He excelled in school, participated in many sports, and had leadership roles throughout his academic life and career. He graduated from the University of Missouri at Columbia and did post graduate studies at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. He became a career Army officer specializing in military intelligence and linguistics. He attended the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif., on two year-long courses of study. Along with skill in Russian, he became fluent in the Romanian language and was appointed Assistant Military Attache in Bucharest, Romania. Other overseas assignments included Korea, two tours in Germany, Vietnam, and stateside duty in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, and Washington, D.C. He was a member of the staff at the Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth, Kan., and worked at the Defense Intelligence Agency and thereafter the Central Intelligence Agency following his retirement from the U.S. Army. He did related consulting work in more recent years.

Sam will always be remembered for his quick smile, charisma, sense of humor, and dedication to the sport of golf. He found great inspiration in his more than 30 years as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Capital Hospice-Attn: Philanthropy Office, 2900 Telestar Ct., Falls Church, Va. 22042 or to the American Cancer Society, 124 Park St., SE, P.O. Box 699, Vienna Va. 22183. He will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on May 13, 2010.