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Join MemoriesThe page celebrates the life of Sam Ansell, husband, father, grandfather. He was a multi-faceted man with a love of life, opera, architecture, comic strips, his grand-kids, and especially eating his wife Na'ama's amazing cooking. Sam was a cartoonist, writer, businessman, ad copywriter, traveler, mountain climber, joke maker, singer of off-key songs, and so much more. Please share your memori... more
Family and friends
Gideon Ansell The future Navy Ensign Ansell.
Gideon Ansell Sam and cat X
Gideon Ansell Sam and cousins on his back at Old Orchard Beach, ME
Gideon Ansell Sam and his sister Sophia. He adored her.
Gideon Ansell Sophia and Sam on skis
Gideon Ansell Entering Harvard in 1940
Gideon Ansell NSFW? On the beach with his sister Sophia
Gideon Ansell Sam did a whole series of these "Send your x to y and watch them develop" this one is from the Harvard Lampoon, 1944.
Gideon Ansell Columbia Jester. Sam, the journalism major, was both poet and illustrator.
Gideon Ansell Columbia Jester. Sam started using the alias Eddie Fields way back when was writing humor columns for his Newton High paper. He kept it up throughout his cartooning career
Gideon Ansell Sam's art on the cover of the Columbia Jester. This cover was featured in Look magazine that year in an article about the new wave of college humor magazines like the Lampoon and Jester.
Gideon Ansell From Sam's Columbia University yearbook. "I am and have always been a bum"
Gideon Ansell Sam could have drawn for the super hero comics of the day. He was that good... but he wasn't into that medium.
Gideon Ansell Sam and Na'ama at their engagement party.
Gideon Ansell Sam did all the voices when he read us this. It was a nighttime ritual. I can still hear his deep Pooh voice and squeaky Piglet.
Gideon Ansell Drawing for a toll booth machine company brochure. Sam was the head of advertising there (and the only ad person)
Gideon Ansell Barnaby was one of Sam's favorite cartoons, and so it became one of mine. Sam read it to me as a kid and then I read them all when I was old enough. We both appreciated the sophisticated wit and simple, unique style of Crockett Johnson... who would later go on to create Harold and the Purple Crayon.
Gideon Ansell Coffee time in Rye
Aliza Ansell Sam and Zizi at the beach
Gideon Ansell Lounging on the deck with his best girl.
Gideon Ansell Sam sharing a joke with Na'ama and Zizi.
Gideon Ansell
Gideon Ansell Grampa Sam admiring his granddaughter Addie.
Aliza Ansell Sam and Zizi in Groton, Ma
Lionel Joseph Sam & Buzzy in La Verna
Aliza Ansell Sam and Na'ama for a walk in Wendell State Park.
Lionel Joseph Sam & Na'ama in Carpiano
Aliza Ansell Sam and Patrick in Italy.
Gideon Ansell When Sam and Na'ama lived in Italy Sam wrote Sam-o-grams, humorous accounts of their travels illustrated with his cartoons.
Lionel Joseph Clowning in Carpiano
Gideon Ansell Grandpa Sam shares a laugh with Grandma Na'ama and a very impish Addie
Gideon Ansell Sam and Na'ama hiking in Italy
Evelyn Rosenthal My mom, Barbara, and I (Evelyn), with Sam & Na'ama, Cathy Stone, and Patrick & Paola, in their backyard in Italy. The trip was a highlight of both my and my mom's lives--Italy, and spending lovely time with the wonderful Ansells!
Gideon Ansell
Amos Ben-Meir I have really fond memories of this trip to Italy. I visited with Na'ama and Sam for 3-4 days at their villa near Gubbio in Umbria, Italy. It was a lot of fun. we visited the surrounding towns, had lots of cappuccino stops and enjoyed good Italian food. This was around September/October 2005 and Sam was a very youthful 83!
Gideon Ansell Grampa Sam and Ivan enjoy a joke together.
Lionel Joseph On the terrace with Lionel and friends Gianni and Ruth
Gideon Ansell Multi-generational book club... with Gideon in '63 an Ivan in 2007.
Aliza Ansell Sam at Hope Cemetery in Barre VT, famous for their spectacular stone work!
Aliza Ansell Sam and Ivan sharing Calvin and Hobbs.
Paola Wright Sam introduced our daughter Viola to Calvin and Hobbes. She was 5 at the time and took to the books like a fish takes to water. New Calvin and Hobbes books became Viola's favourite birthday and Christmas presents. She was later on diagnosed with dyslexia which was not eased by being bilingual. But reading her C&H books was somehow never an issue and gave her the comfort and the strength to overcome the hardest hurdles in school. Thank you Sam for being such a caring, deeply insightful, wonderfully hilarious friend. You are one of a kind. Paola, Patrick and Viola
Gideon Ansell Grampa, Grandma, Ivan, and Addie
Na'ama Ansell Sam and Ivan sharing Calvin and Hobbs
Aliza Ansell Sam, Na'ama, Zizi , Ric and Leya.
Aliza Ansell Real snow birds.
Gideon Ansell Enjoying the book grandaughter Leya wrote for him on his 90th birthday.
Aliza Ansell Addie, Sam and Na'ama at the Museum of Fine Arts
Aliza Ansell Face Painting time with Leya, Zizi, Sam and Ric
Na'ama Ansell Sam with the Lubin sisters
Gideon Ansell Sam & Addie at Bryn Mawr.
Gideon Ansell Sam and sister in law Yael
Gideon Ansell Sam, Ivan, Mary and Na'ama celebrating Na'ama's birthday.
Aliza Ansell Sam reading Na'ama's grandfather memoirs at Passover 2013
Aliza Ansell Leya's 9th bithday with family!
Aliza Ansell Leya and Sam
Aliza Ansell Sam, Mikie and Yael cracking up!
Aliza Ansell Sam at Mass MoCA
Gideon Ansell Sam and Zizi at his Harvard class of '44 reunion 70th reunion.
Aliza Ansell Sam holding court with David, Rick and Na'ama at Zizi's house in Cummington, MA
Aliza Ansell Sam and Addie sharing a moment
Aliza Ansell Ric guarding Na'ama and Sam outside the tent at Mass Moca.
Gideon Ansell Salut!
Aliza Ansell Ric, Leya, Na'ama and Sam in Amherst
Aliza Ansell Sam enjoying some cold water before Zizi and Ric's wedding.
Aliza Ansell Father and Son (Seth and Sam) at Ric and Zizi's wedding reception.
Aliza Ansell Sam, Mikie and Na'ama cracking up at Zizi's wedding reception.
Aliza Ansell Sam congratulating the wedding couple (he finally lived long enough to see his daughter get married off...for only 15 goats and 3 camels).
Aliza Ansell Yael and Sam at Zizi and Ric's wedding reception
Aliza Ansell Grandma Na'ama and Grandpa Sam in their hand-knit hats by Ashley Mallon (Granddaughter-in-law)
Aliza Ansell Sam putting on Chaunukah present from Ashley
Aliza Ansell Sam & Na'ama posing by the water with Addie & Ashley after their wedding.
Aliza Ansell Sam admiring his beautiful granddaughter at her wedding.
Na'ama Ansell Father and son (Seth) at Addie's wedding
Aliza Ansell Sam leafing through the newly published Obama photo book by Pete Souza.
Aliza Ansell Back home after the Boston's Women's March (where Na'ama spent the day in the hospital emergency room) sharing a laugh with her loving husband.
Aliza Ansell Sam doing what Sam does best, flipping through the family photo books admiring his brood.
Aliza Ansell Sam holding court in Waltham
Aliza Ansell Sam smiling while Na'ama orders his dinner. He had an opinion once, but got over it. ;-)
Aliza Ansell Dad at Passover!
Aliza Ansell Sam and Na'ama at Marriott with David, Rick and Mikie
Aliza Ansell Sam and Leya sharing a moment at his 95th birthday.
Aliza Ansell Sam's birthday!
Aliza Ansell Sam looking at his 95th birthday present.
Gideon Ansell A poster we created for Sam's 95th birthday featuring his favorite comic character Krazy Kat
Aliza Ansell Sam happiness with his two granddaughters, Leya and Addie!
Aliza Ansell Sam and Addie viewing Sam's present
Aliza Ansell Sam blowing out the candles on his cake. Addie and Leya watching on.
Aliza Ansell Sam viewing his birthday present with Gid, Addie, Leya and Ivan
Aliza Ansell Sam's Birthday Present
Aliza Ansell Sam, good job blowing out those candles!
Aliza Ansell Sam and Na'ama in Tanglewood where they first met!
Aliza Ansell Gid and Sam at Tanglewood!
Aliza Ansell Sam and David Chura at the Marriott!
Aliza Ansell Sam and Na'ama at Tanglewood
Aliza Ansell Sam, Na'ama, Seth and Ric at Addie and Ash;ey's wedding
Aliza Ansell Sam and Gid at Addie and Ashley's wedding!
Aliza Ansell Sam and Na'ama at seaside clam shack on the Cape following Addie and Ashley's wedding.
Aliza Ansell Sam and Na'ama at Edward Gorey House.
Aliza Ansell Amos, Mikie, Zizi, Ric, Na'ama and Sam
Na'ama Ansell A lot of Ansells and one Mallon
Aliza Ansell Yael, Sam and Na'ama sharing a laugh.
Gideon Ansell Surrounded by 3 of his favorite young people, Leya, Addie, and Ashley.
Aliza Ansell Sam's 97th birthday party!
Aliza Ansell Sam celebrating his 97th birthday party with Gid, Ivan Seth, Addie, Ashley, Zizi, and of course, Na'ama (the one who cooked the yummy meal)
Aliza Ansell Sam's 99th birthday party. Put on your hats kids.....
Aliza Ansell The boys: Sam, Gid and Ric
Aliza Ansell Sam and Evelyn
Aliza Ansell Sam and Na'ama taking in a show (The Sound of Music) with their grandchildren (and grand-daughter-in-law) at the Regal Theater in Waltham
Aliza Ansell Sam and Na'ama holding hands at the dinner table.
Gideon Ansell Love birds
Gideon Ansell Sam relaxing at home in his favorite chair...accompanied by Gideon. He spent so many hours here reading everything he could get his hands on.
A long and lovely relationship on both sides of the Atlantic, a bit in Umbria and a bit in Massachusetts . Sam and I played Scrabble and drank Martinis, Na'ama and I cooked. Fond memories, to hold and share. Ciao, Sam.
From Susan Coppock I got to know Sam and Na'ama about 10 years ago in an Italian group that we were all in together. After doing our Italian reading, we would have dessert and coffee, sometimes lunch, and have great discussions in English. I was always struck by Sam's wonderful sense of humor and his lively mind. He was great fun to be with and t...
One of the BOLLI faces I most enjoyed seeing enter a room, Sam's warmth and humor was evident at every turn--and, of course, in his wonderful cartoons! I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to spend a little time with him and with his best friend and greatest love, the inimitable Na'ama.
From Yael Lubin: My memories of Sam go way back. When Sam and Na’ama were married, I was just a kid, 6 or7 years-old. Sam, who was then called Sam’l, read me stories, took me to see the ballet “The Love of Three Oranges” (his idea) and birdwatching in Flushing Meadows, NY (my idea). There’s a long break in the story because I moved to Israel. One ...
Sam became an inspiring part of my life in the '80s when I had the good fortune to meet Gideon and share an apartment with him in Newton. As a transplanted midwesterner far from family and friends, the Ansells became something of a second family for me. Sam and Na'ama welcomed me into their beautiful Wayland home for many delicious meals, captiva...
Aliza Ansell Sam's new haircut! Dashing fellow
Aliza Ansell Sam's 99th birthday party cake!
Na'ama Ansell 99th Birthday!
Aliza Ansell Na'ama looking lovingly at Sam! Love birds forever!
From Evelyn Rosenthal: This is what I wrote for Sam & Na'ama some years ago: Knowing you, Na’ama and Sam, has been (and still is!) one of the greatest pleasures of our lives. Here are some of the reasons why: Singing songs from “Kiss Me Kate” in Graziella’s kitchen before Italian class Sharing books and book-talk (and movies, and Masterpiece The...
Na'ama Ansell COVID haircut
My name is andrew hyde. I happened on Sam Ansell page because Sam graduated high school with Mrs Priscilla (August) Glovsky. I was reading Mrs G obit from 2012, Dec. & the No Hampton -Williston Comm popped-up. I noted that Mr Sam passed recently & preceded to read story& pictures that accompany. The story is great therapy while you think of paralle...
Sam's passing is mentioned in The Daily Cartooinst website. http://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2021/08/27/sam-ansell-rip/
Hello Gideon and anyone else who may read this! Sam was Best Man at my parents' wedding, and he and Na'ama were close to them from Newton to Rye to Gubbio. My parents, Bert and Jacquie Harmon, passed away in 2013 in FL where they'd relocated in retirement. We used to visit you in Rye in the '50s - it was an exotic trip by car from Newton to your ...
Hello. My name is Bobby Hyde. I was at Google one day searching Mrs Priscilla Glovsky. When I got Mrs G. hometown, the high school friends were noted. The Glovsky Family were close friends with the Hyde Family 30 years. However, I know Mr Sam Ansell from the biography of the family. I enjoyed all the stories and meeting a high school friend of Mrs...
Na'ama Ansell
Na'ama Ansell
Na'ama Ansell
Na'ama Ansell
Na'ama Ansell