Samuel Walter Cupps

Samuel Walter Cupps 1935 – 2022 Samuel Walter Cupps of Muskogee, Oklahoma, joined his brother Robert and many others in Heaven on October 11, 2022. He passed peacefully in his sleep as his devoted son Troy held his hand and prayed with him at his bedside in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sam, as his many friends called him, was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on January 6, 1935, and lived to tell stories and jokes for more than eighty-seven years. He spent most of his many years serving and caring for his family and friends. All of his family agree that he was the best husband and caretaker anyone could hope for, and they marvel at how he never lost faith, even though widowed three times. Sam’s first wife, Mary Joyce Lentz Cupps, to whom he was married for nearly twenty-eight years, passed away in 1990 at the age of 48. He never left her side throughout her six-year fight with breast cancer, and his final resting place will be at her side in Morrilton, Arkansas. Sam and Mary raised two children together, Laura Cupps Wiseman of Muskogee and Samuel “Troy” Cupps of Tulsa. After Mary’s passing, Sam married Patricia Montgomery in 1992. She succumbed to Lou Gehrig’s Disease just eleven and a half years later at the age of 69. He steadfastly remained by her side until her passing. Sam’s final marriage was to Joan Arnette Curren Cupps in 2009, a marriage which lasted until her death in 2017. Faced with tragedy once again, Sam never left his wife’s side, never gave up, and gave the best care a man could give throughout Joan’s battle with cancer. Sam’s professional accomplishments include three years of active-duty service with the United States Army as well as some time spent in the reserves afterwards. He was honorably discharged from active duty at the rank of Sergeant (E-5) on August 9, 1957. Sam also dedicated thirty years of service with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, working in various locations throughout Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, retiring in 1990 as one of the best dam(n) engineers in the Corps! Even after his retirement, Sam continued to work on various projects well into his eighties, both professionally and out of a sense of personal satisfaction. Most recently, he built a storage barn in his back yard at age 84 and installed wood floors in the home he shared with Joan in just the last few years, because that is what she wanted before her passing. Sam held a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Arkansas and remained dedicated Arkansas Razorbacks football fan until he passed, even watching his final game on October 8, 2022, groaning at the losing score against Mississippi State during the third quarter. Sam loved to “call the Hogs” and rarely missed a game. He was a lifetime member of his alma mater’s alumni association. Sam later earned a master’s degree in engineering from Oklahoma State University. Sam was a longtime member of First Baptist Church of Muskogee and was a Mason under Baldwin Commandery No. 4 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, for more than sixty years. He was a man of great faith, impressive intellect, and had a heart of service which made him an example for all to follow. But what defined Sam’s personality most was his witty humor and mischievous grin. Sam always had a funny story or a joke to tell, and playfully refused any and all directives to “behave.” The family’s favorite joke was always number 23, which was the funniest of them all. If you have not heard that one, you may not get the reference here. But trust us—it was funny! Sam is survived by his daughter, Laura Wiseman, and his son, Troy Cupps, along with their families. He is also survived by three grandsons, Trenton Cupps and Shelton Cupps, both of Tulsa, and Jeffrey Wiseman, of Muskogee. He also claimed many step-grandchildren and step-greatgrandchildren and lovingly included all in his handwritten yearly birthday card mailings up to the time of his passing. He was preceded in death by his parents Enos and Gertrude Cupps, as well as his brother Robert Cupps, nephews, Steve Cupps, and Lin Cupps, and grandson Troy Mitchell Cupps. A celebration of Sam’s remarkable life will be held at Cornerstone Funeral Home in Muskogee on October 14, 2022, at 9:00 a.m., followed by a burial service at 3:00 p.m. at Elmwood Cemetery in Morrilton, Arkansas. He will be laid to rest next to his first wife, Mary Cupps, on the thirty-second anniversary of her passing. In lieu of sending flowers or cards—and by request of Sam himself—please instead make a generous donation to the American Cancer Society by “gunny sack full of tightly-packed twenties.” As a final thought, Sam would most want his legacy to be that a life spent dedicated to God is a life worth living and he would want you to know that there is never a wrong time to make that dedication.

Samuel Walter Cupps

January 6, 1935 - October 11, 2022