On March 4, 1942 Samuel was born at Bellevue hospital in NYC to Adelaida and Pedro Marquez. To say he was part of a "big" family was an understatement as he had 12 siblings.  Samuel grew up on "El Barrio" on 117th street and his absolute favorite pastime was playing Stickball with his neighborhood friends.  He was actually inducted into the stickball Hall of Fame some years ago.

He enlisted in the Marines as a young man and served 4 years active duty and 2 years in the Reserves. He then became a firefighter in his early 20's and served as a NYC firefighter for more than 20 years. He worked at one of the busiest firehouses in the South Bronx – Engine 41. He had two children, Diana and Joseph and has 4 grandchildren Marlin, Jaden, Janess and Joey who he loved with all his heart.

He was an avid Yankee fan and loved the rivalry he had with his father, brother and his son Joe who were all Mets fans. Some of his favorite hobbies were playing stickball, softball, bowling, golfing and he ran 2 NYC marathons. He loved to dance salsa and truly enjoyed playing dominos and rummikub with his family. He had a true servant heart and used to volunteer at the home for the disabled with his good friend Marty. He was a loving brother and friend to many. He set a beautiful example of how to love unconditionally and would bring his parents breakfast and the newspaper every morning and take them to their doctor appointments. If anyone needed a favor, he was there for them in a heartbeat, no questions asked. Back in 2012, he survived a very serious medical trauma and it was a true miracle of God.  He fought that battle with tenacity and was stronger than any man one could meet. He left a lasting impression on anyone who had the pleasure of meeting him.

He had a great sense of humor and enjoyed dressing up as Santa for his grandkids and family every Christmas. He was the epitome of a family

and a blessing to all his siblings, nieces and nephews. I am positive he is dancing salsa with his family in Heaven.  May he rest in peace, this isn't goodbye...it's until we see you again in eternity.