I pray, asking God to give me, George, Panos, and all of you strength on this special day.
Thank you all for honoring Sam with your presence.
My name is John Anagnostou, Sam’s oldest brother. I have been given the honor to speak on behalf of the entire Anagnostou family.
We, the Anagnostou family, want all of you, the Greek community, the real estate community, the Daly City community, and everyone here to know Sam’s mind was consumed with anguish, sorrow, and loneliness. We are all at peace that Sam’s suffering is over. This knowledge is the saving grace that will help us through this.
Remind us, O Christ—now and in the days to come—that even a tragic end cannot erase the good that came before. This solitary act of pain is but a single line in the story of a lifetime. The love and friendship we shared were real. And the hope, the joy, the laughter, and the delight written into those earlier chapters remain—forever part of the larger story, as gloriously true as they ever were.
God rest his soul.
Sam was the proud father of George and Panos, the loving son of George and Kitsy, brother to myself, Sue, Gus, and Jeannie, Theo to many, and loved friend to thousands.
Many people are asking, “What happened to our beloved Sam?”
I would like to address this question with the hope that it will give some relief to all those who came and especially to those who are suffering.
Sam was afflicted with a mental health disease. This disease affects people in many ways.
What makes this disease so difficult is that it's almost invisible. It’s a disease that hurts everyone around it because of the helplessness of it all.
About 3 years ago, Sam let us know that he was struggling to sleep.
Then anxiety and depression began affecting his daily life.
A horrific video he created in his mind was constantly on repeat.
Medications entered his life and affected his mind. At first they were helping, but at some point, they seemed to stop working. Sam, unfortunately, manifested every potential side effect of the medications he was taking, further deepening his anxiety and depression. From that, many fears emerged.
Anguish, sorrow, and loneliness consumed his mind and daily life.
He constantly told us that he couldn’t turn off the negativity stirring in his brain and that he couldn’t get reprieve, not even for a minute. Even around a loving family, he was unable to be comfortable.
Sam and I spent a great deal of time together these past 3 years. I was convinced that I could help my little brother get out of his deep depression because I was afflicted with the same disease a few years earlier, and with God's help and the help of many others, I managed to get myself out.
Our conversations gave Sam hope and confidence that he could get out of this debilitating disease.
I had told Sam, when I was sick, scared, lost, and in the darkest place I had ever been, that I prayed constantly. I asked God, “Please help me out of this dark place and I will be one of your best disciples, helping others even more than I already do.”
Sam and I made this same commitment to God. Sam’s spirit will work through me, his sons, his family, and everyone he touched, to fulfill his commitment of helping others.
Sam tried his hardest to overcome this mind-altering disease, but it was too much for him to overcome.
We all tried to help Sam—and Sam tried to help himself. He did everything he could, moving in and out of mental health facilities, searching for relief. He was deeply loved and cared for, as best as we knew how. Forgive us, dear brother, that we couldn’t help you find your way out.
I must tell you—I have never witnessed any human being in so much anguish and sorrow.
Sam will go straight to heaven.
This happens to be Bright week—the most glorious time to celebrate Sam’s precious life.
We are all here because he impacted each and every one of us.
Sam wasn’t just our Sam, he was everybody’s Sam.
He is gone but his spirit will never die. He now lives within us all.
We believe Sam has already been communicating to us since his passing. Telling us “I am finally at peace!”
Now, let me tell you how Sam lived and how we will always remember him.
Sam had a theory: there are two kinds of people in this world—Eagles and Seagulls. Eagles are solitary and independent, preferring to keep to themselves. Seagulls, on the other hand, are loud, social, always sharing food, sometimes a bit annoying, often uninvited—but always together.
We Anagnostous are Seagulls.
When Sam was 9 years old, he got a leading role in a class play called “I Am The Captain Of The Pinafore”. We had to listen to him for weeks singing, “I am the Captain of the Pinafore and a mighty good captain too, be it understood, I demand a mighty good crew.” He was so proud of himself and so were we.
When Sam was 12 years old and in the 6th grade, he decided to run for class president. His marketing campaign was, “Vote for Sam the Greek, or you’re a Geek!”. Needless to say, Sam became a great class president.
Sam was a natural born leader. This kid from Camelia Dr., Daly City brought so many people together.
He loved playing hide-and-seek in what we called “Fogville, USA” the nickname we gave Daly City. During those games of hide-and-seek, Sam would climb to the top of a light pole like a monkey and would be the last one found.
Sam would have taste tests in our kitchen for our friends. Jeannie was always his accomplice and his biggest cheerleader!
Gus and I ran backyard carnivals for years. One of our signature attractions was a game where you threw water balloons at a hole in a bedsheet. And who was our first unlucky face behind that hole? Sam. He’d groan, “Why do I have to do this?”—as if he didn’t already know he was the designated target.
These carnivals drew kids from blocks away. Parents, however, were less thrilled—mostly about how much money their kids spent. Our dad was our supplier, stocking us with candy and prizes. He’d sit me down with my candy list and say, “This costs me 3 cents. I’m in business, so I’ll have to sell it to you for 5 cents.” This is where the Business School of George Anagnostou all started.
Pranks
Sam was one of the biggest pranksters, along with our brother Gus.
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Athens Greece car story
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Maryland Market twinkie story
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Gus & Sam Harley Tahoe ride
Sam did a lot of peculiar things:
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Thanksgiving unknown invited guests
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Playing golf Oakland Hills
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Pulling up to friends to go fishing
Real Estate Success & Stories
Sam sold a house a week for multiple years in a row. I believe as many as 67 home sales in 1 year.
If Sam knew you had any intent in Real Estate, Sam was like a dog on a bone, you were now Sam’s client.
Sam’s best selling strategy was to take new clients over to Dad’s house and after one hour with our father, they were ready to invest in America and now officially part of the Anagnostou family.
Sam helped many people buy their first home.
Dozens of people have told me, if it wasn’t for Sam, they wouldn’t own their home.
- Tim & Laylor Big Brother story
Blessings
There were many great moments even through the times of Sam’s illness:
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Dancing with his sister Sue at her 70th birthday party with one of his favorite songs, Suavecito by Malo.
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Dancing & honoring our mother at her 94th birthday party with everyone together.
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Learning to give away money
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Couple on log Marina/Beach
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Dog Jaw & Bike Ride
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Cemetery story
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Funeral Parlour story
Gus and I often told Sam, “You can’t have 100 best friends”. But now I realize—we were wrong. He didn’t have 100. He had a thousand.
If you’ve ever wondered why all Greek families seem to be related, our father had an explanation. He taught us that if you're lucky enough to have a family of your own, you should choose someone outside the family to be your Koumbaros or Koumbara—your child’s Godfather or Godmother. It’s a choice that expands your family and strengthens your community ties.
And with a big smile, he’d always add, “If you’re really lucky, they might have a dentist, doctor, or lawyer in the family.”
Sam understood this instinctively. He knew the greatest treasures in life were family and friends—just look around this room.
Our father always reminded us of life’s urgency by singing, “It’s later than you think!” So let’s honor them both: Spend time with those you love. Reach out, forgive, show up. Because in the end, the only thing that truly lasts is the love we share.
For all the thousands of friends Sam had, for all the people who loved him and called him family—nothing mattered more to him than being a father to George and Panos.
From the early days of Little League to cheering them on in their careers in Hollywood and real estate, Sam never missed a moment. If you knew Sam, you knew his boys. He made sure of it—sharing photos, videos, and proud stories whether you asked or not. His love for them was loud, relentless, and constant. He was the kind of dad who would call five times a day just to say, “I love you.”
Being a father wasn’t just something he did—it was who he was.
And no one says it better than his sons, George and Panos:
We truly believe that being a father was a core tenant of his identity. He was on the phone working 24/7, but he never missed an event—whether it was a baseball game, a school play, or a graduation. We always felt his support as we followed our passions and our hearts. We never felt judged. In fact, he was our biggest fan. He made sure we knew he loved us unconditionally - and that love is helping us get through this difficult time.
We love you, Dad. We honor you. And we’ll be looking out for you—catching a wave in the distance or riding by on a motorcycle.
May God rest your soul, little brother!