Sam Porrovecchio

Sam Mark Porrovecchio, 87, passed away on April 15, 2020, at the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls, after suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Sam grew up in San Jose, California. He was one of 10 children (two sisters and seven brothers), born to Joe, a rancher, and Rose Fabiano, a housewife. He was the last remaining sibling.

Sam attended San Jose State College and San Jose City College, with an emphasis on art, before joining the Army in 1950. He spent his time in the service at Fort Ord on the Monterey Bay in California. While there, he served as a cook. After the Army, Sam worked his way through the ranks in the City of San Jose, becoming a parks and recreation supervisor and retiring after 25 years of service. He then moved his family to Bigfork to start the next chapter of their lives away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Sam was a humble polymath. He was a painter, sketch artist and sculptor. Sam was a more than competent square dancer. He was an expert gardener, with a naturalist’s eye and a very green thumb. Sam was also an excellent cook specializing in Italian/Sicilian cuisine. He would amaze family and friends with incredible, yet simple, meals. Sam also occasionally taught cooking classes at the local community college and hosted cooking events at local restaurants. Many are the people who still talk about his Pork Marsala or Pasta Primavera. In all of these endeavors, what stood out was that Sam was quick to share his interests and always ready with a joke, a laugh or a piece of advice.

Sam was also a kind and loving father and husband. His family can recall annual trips to Montana, to Yosemite National Park, to the Family Camp along the banks of California’s Tuolumne River, as well as a month-and-a-half-long trek across America. Sam also loved his trips to Italy, with his wife, his family, and his friends. He was especially proud of being able to visit the birthplaces of his parents, Monreale and Piana degli Albanesi, in Sicily. Sam celebrated his family and doted on his grandchildren. In later years, nothing made him happier than spending time with his those he loved and those who loved him.

Sam is survived by his wife, Susan; his daughter Jackie and her partner Robin; her son Douglas and his daughter River Violet; and their son Daniel and his wife Tina; and their son Westley; his oldest son Mark; his youngest son Matt and his wife Lacey; and their children Andrew, Dylan and Cooper.

In lieu of flowers or memorials, the family asks that persons close to Sam make a donation in his name to The Culinary Arts Program at Flathead Valley Community College, www.fvcc.edu/programs/arts/culinary-arts/culinary-institute-of-montana/

Buffalo Hill Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for the family. A Christian Celebration of Life will be held and announced at a later date.