Samuel Tsukasa Haltom

Samuel Tsukasa Haltom

Samuel Tsukasa Haltom was welcomed by Jesus on January 31, 2022 at age 72 after a short unexpected battle with covid in Montrose, Colorado. Sam was born in Hilo, Hawaii on November 14, 1949 to William and Ruth Haltom, the third of four siblings. He spent his early years as a missionary kid in Hawaii and Oklahoma. Later, his family moved to the Bahamas to continue mission work. In 1968, Sam graduated from Boyden High School in Salisbury, North Carolina where he lived after his parent’s retirement from the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and his father became a VA Chaplain.

Sam attended East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina where he received a degree in Commercial Art and Photography. At ECU he met the love of his life, Linda Cleveland Haltom, and they were married on March 31, 1972. After graduation they lived in Rock Hall, Maryland and moved to Alexandria, Virginia where he started a graphic design business, Another Color, Inc., in 1975. Over the years it transitioned from manual to computer graphic design and production. Sam worked with many government agencies, nonprofit organizations and businesses until he retired in 2012.

While living in Virginia, Sam and Linda had two boys, Willis and Matthew. Sam was very involved in raising his sons including Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, coaching baseball, fishing, camping, and always being at all their activities throughout their school years. In 1996 the family moved to Steamboat Springs where he worked with the Steamboat Ski and Resort Corporation and the boys graduated from high school. They spent much time snowboarding and snowmobiling with their dad and he was always at their athletic events. He continued his love for fly fishing as well as opportunities to serve the Lord. He supported his sons through college and various business endeavors throughout the years.

Sam and Linda moved to Salida in 2009 where they volunteered often. Sam had great compassion for those in need and his motto was “See a need, meet it if possible by the grace of God”. He became passionate about missions in West Africa after visiting his missionary sister Becky and Bobby Couts in Benin in 2007.  He served with various mission organizations in Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

Sam and Linda moved to Port Saint Joe, Florida in 2017 where he learned salt water fishing. They became involved in local missions and went to Guatemala with Long Avenue Baptist Church. After a few years, they had enough of the heat and humidity and relocated to Montrose in 2021 where he continued with his fly fishing, photography, and volunteering.

Sam loved God and his family above all else, in that order. Sam will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Sam was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Jon David Haltom and his brother-in-law Bobby Murphey Couts.  He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Linda Cleveland Haltom, sons Willis Samuel Haltom and Matthew Jon Haltom (fiancé Michelle Gallegos), mother-in-law Helen Cleveland, sister Rebekah (Becky) Couts, sister Sarah (husband Ronald) Hollifield, sister-in-law Sharon McMichael, sister-in-law Julia (husband Tim) Rickman, sister-in-law Linda Hawkins Haltom, brother-in-law Charles (wife Sandy) Cleveland, brother-in-Christ Gomer Williams and many nieces and nephews.

Sam’s Celebration of Life will be held at Celebration Church on February 12th at 11 am.  Donations in his memory may be made to Celebration Church, 2900 Sunnyside Road, Montrose, CO 81401, designated to Missions. Thanks to Crippin Funeral Home for assistance.