Sam Joe of Glacier Media in Vancouver BC recently passed away after a long battle with cancer. The disease threw all its brutality at him and he handled it with class and grace.

At work and play he was kind and humble. He downplayed his importance in the Glacier organization…”I’m just the heavy metal guy Tom”. He was a quiet yet powerful leader. He was calm under pressure and methodical in his decision making. When the new Globe & Mail print platform was being launched in Saskatchewan, Sam stood by swatting flies to keep them away from his press crew. When the big boss takes on the flies for you as a press operator, you know he cares about you. After the inaugural pressrun he joined his team loading hoppers on the Alphaliner. Sam had a great passion for putting ink on paper and was saddened in the recent years when his role turned to “managing the decline of print”.

He was a great family man and loved talking about his kids. He recently went on a safari with his wife and daughter. I plan to follow in his footsteps after hearing about this trip. He said I need to do it before it’s too late and I will.

I have been fortunate to travel the world and meet many great people. I will miss Sam and am grateful for all he taught me. Many customers turn into friends. Some turn into mentors. Sam was a great friend and mentor who I try to emulate each day.

Farewell my Friend,

Tom Loesch