George Samuel (G. Sam) Piatt died June 25th at home. He was 88.
G. Sam was born May 22, 1934, at Fullerton, one of three children of Bruce Piatt of Manchester, Ohio, and Carra (Katie) Hannah Piatt of Bruin, Elliott County.
G. Sam worked for a total of 30 years as a full-time news reporter for the Daily Independent and The Daily Times. He took his full retirement from the Independent in 1998 but returned to work two more stints with the Times during the 2000’s. He was still writing his column on the outdoors for both newspapers at the time of his death. The column ran for 47 straight years in the Sunday edition of the sports section in the Independent.
He authored two books, “Men of Valor” in 2012: and his novel, “That Summer of ’45” in 2014.
He was a close friend of Jesse and Naomi Deane Stuart, especially during the last four years of Jesse’s life, when he suffered from a stroke that left him paralyzed down the left side of his body.
G. Sam was elected to the Greenup County School District Hall of Fame 2018.
In the late 1960’s he was elected to a term as Mayor of South Shore.
He graduated from South Portsmouth High School and went off to Cedarville College on a basketball scholarship, where he made the starting five on the varsity.
He graduated from Marshall University in 1992 with a Regents Bachelor of Arts Degree, with an emphasis on journalism and art, including photography.
G. Sam was a retired military man with 29 years of service. He served 25 years in the US Naval Reserves and four years in the Kentucky Army National Guard.
G. Sam was a member of the South Shore First United Methodist Church since 1966, when he was saved at the alter through the rebirth that Jesus told Nicodemus about. He called that the most important date of his life. He taught the adult Sunday School class for several years.
He is survived by a daughter, Cindy Piatt Cole (Dwight Cole) of South Webster, Ohio; eight grandchildren along with five of their spouses; and 17 great-grandchildren.
In addition to his parents, Sam was preceded in death by his loving wife of 68 years, Bonnie Sue Mercer Piatt, (March 20, 2022); two beloved sons, Kelly Joseph (Jo Boy) Piatt, of a heart attack on (December 21, 2015) and Kendall Ray Piatt in a truck-SUV collision on Rt. 23 in South Shore on (December 29, 2014); his only brother, Bruce “Bootie” Piatt Jr.; and his only sister Linda Lou Howerton Piatt.
Services will be Saturday, July 2, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. at South Shore First United Methodist Church with Dr. Michael Rice, Pastor Jim Sherman, and Danny Mercer officiating. Friends may call at the church from 11:00 a.m. until the time of the service Saturday.
Burial will be in Siloam Cemetery.
Morton-Hunt Family Funeral Home in South Shore is caring for arrangements.
The family requests memorials to South Shore First United Methodist Church, PO Box 486, South Shore, KY 41175.
