In Memory of Samuel Boyd Brittell 1952 -2024

Professional Truck Driver Samuel (Sam) Brittell went to his Heavenly home on November 25, 2024, at Lake District Hospital in Lakeview, Oregon after a serious illness.

In 1953 the Brittell family traveled to Zambia, Africa as missionaries. Sam loved to go with his dad out to the villages and enjoyed driving the tractor on the mission when he got a little older and his dad put blocks on the pedals. His Brittell Grandparents were missionaries as well.  His grandmother ran the orphanage. A book was written about her, “Mother of 80”.  The family returned to the States in 1966 when Sam was 14.

Sam married Michele Ann Christian in January of 1973. He had Michele go and buy two identical CB radios. Sam kept one intact and took the other completely apart (diodes and all) down to the board and put it back together with modifications that more than doubled the number of channels. He sold the rights to Uniden (I told him he should have asked for a royalty) titled “Secret CB” (https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-CB-Radio/Secret-CB/secret_cb_vol_26.pdf). Besides CBs Sam was a Ham radio and scanner nut.

In March of 1977 he had his only semi-truck accident on highway 101 on black ice just above Eureka, California. He was hauling live crab at the time. Sam was in a coma for two months and in a wheelchair for two years after the accident.  He was told he would never be able to walk again. Sam did learn to walk again and went back to driving long-haul and drove up until about three years ago.  Sam drove a total of four million miles and always said, “You can’t make money sitting in the coffee shop.” Despite his heavy foot on the throttle, he never received any tickets. He did, however, get the officer’s right pointer finger shaken at him. He drove in 49 states but couldn’t find the bridge to Hawaii.

Sam lived a very interesting life.  Although truck driving was his passion he had other careers. He was Captain of a commercial fishing boat (albacore) for his father-in-law, pilot of a corporate 21 passenger Lear jet, a drummer (everyone will remember him playing “Wipeout” which is probably why his shoulders were worn out. He could fix almost anything – vehicles, pumps, refrigeration, radios, scanners, CBs, etc. and there wasn’t anyone he worked for who wouldn’t have him back to work in a heartbeat.

Besides California and Zambia Sam lived in Texas, Alaska, Idaho, Roswell, New Mexico; and moved to Lakeview when he married Jeannie I. (Powers, Lawrence) on November 4, 2000 (that way he wouldn’t have to subtract if someone asked him how many years he was married). We celebrated our 24th anniversary at St. Charles Hospital in Bend, Oregon before he was transferred back to Lakeview on November 18th.

Sam is survived by his three children and a stepson, grandchildren and siblings.

He was preceded in death by his first wife Michele.

Memorial contributions can be made in memory of Sam to Donations to the St Christophers Truckers Relief Fund https://truckersfund.org/   - St. Jude, or a donation to your favorite charity.