Samuel Hartness

Samuel Smith Hartness, Jr. (aka Sam) of Mesquite, Texas was 92 years old when he died on May 15 th ,
2023 at 10:35 A.M. He died at home in his sleep of metastatic lung cancer.
Sam was born on September 15 th , 1930 in York County, South Carolina to Samuel Smith Hartness, Sr.
and Ora Mae Tuck. He was the fifth child of ten, with eight sisters and one brother. Sam outlived all of
his siblings.
Sam was raised in a Presbyterian home and became a Christian at a young age. He married Roberta
Porter on November 26 th , 1954 in Carlsbad, New Mexico. He fathered five children: two boys and three
girls. He and his wife raised their family in Mesquite, Texas.
Sam’s father started him as a carpenter’s helper at 3 years old and he became a journeyman carpenter by
the age of 15. After finishing high school at the 11 th grade, Sam joined the newly formed U.S. Air Force
in 1947. He served as an aircraft mechanic for B–25 bombers until his Medical Discharge for rheumatic
fever in 1948. (The Air Force later upgraded this to an Honorable Discharge.) He worked as an
electrician, installer, and technician before becoming an electronics engineer. Sam designed high
performance hardware for telecommunication and space systems. He supported the manned space
programs in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Sam was preceded in death by his wife in April 2018. He was survived by his five children: John
Samuel Hartness (with three daughters), Cemelia Ann McDaniel (with one daughter), Randy Lynn
Hartness, Ronova Keerikoolparn (with three sons), and Stacie Mardell Williams (with two sons, two
daughters, a step–daughter, a step–nephew, and two grandchildren).
Per his wishes, Sam was cremated and no memorial service requested. For further details, please contact
John Hartness at 469–416–5010. Sam had requested that donations be made to research charities in lieu
of flowers.