- Date Of Birth: July 24, 1930
- Date Of Death: December 17, 2015
- State: Texas
Samuel Roy McCuskey Jr. was born on July 24, 1930 in Wheeling, West Virginia. He was the son of Samuel Roy McCuskey Sr. and Arah Gladys Cunningham McCuskey. Sam was the oldest of five children, William, Jessie, Georgeann and Mary. The McCuskey family moved to Morgantown, West Virginia in 1937. Sam was a faithful member of the Westover United Methodist Church.
He was always active and involved in sports and athletics. Sam swam in the Monongahela River in the coldest of winter with his friends (aka Westover River Rats). He was active in the Boy Scouts of America as a youth attaining the rank of First Class and later became an Assistant Scout Master and leader for his sons’ Troops where he strongly encouraged his scouts to become Eagle Scouts. During his high school years, 1945-1948, he furthered his interest in contact sports including football at Morgantown High School (MHS) and boxing under John Lan’s management. He was also artistic and enjoyed painting and drawing. He liked gardening and being out of doors.
After graduating from MHS in the Class of 1948, he attended West Virginia University (WVU) for his freshman year and then withdrew to join the U. S. Navy for two years at which time he served on a mine sweeper. Upon completion of his tour of duty, he returned to WVU to continue his education where he was a member of ROTC and was enrolled in the Pre-Med program. He graduated from WVU, Class 0f 1954 in School of Medicine with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.
Sam served two years in the U. S. Army Infantry, Special Services Officer, entering into active service on June 18, 1954 as a 2nd Lt at Ft. Benning, Georgia and separating from active service on July 31, 1956 as a 1st Lt at Ft. Devens, Massachusetts. During this time, Sam was enrolled in the Army Flight Training school.
Sam returned to WVU for his Master’s Degree and applied for WVU’s Dental School. He was accepted in the first class of the WVU School of Dentistry and graduated in 1961. Upon graduation, he entered into the Dental Corps of the Regular Army, on August 19, 1961, accumulating 30 years of service in the Armed Forces of the United States of America. His overseas assignments included Sinop, Turkey; West Berlin, Germany; Munich, Germany; and Panama. LTC McCuskey had a TS clearance and was selected to visit and care for Rudolf Hess, the famous WWII German Officer held in Spandau Prison after the Nazi war crime trials. Lieutenant Colonel McCuskey, DDS having served faithfully and honorably, was retired from the United States Army on the First day of May, 1987.
Military decorations include Meritorious Service Medal, Army of Occupation Medal (West Berlin), National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, and Expert Field Medical Badge.
Sam worked in private practice for several years and then returned to public service where he served as a Dentist for the State of Texas Department of Criminal Justice for nearly a decade. Dr. McCuskey accumulated more than 600 hours in postgraduate classes before he retired in 2009.
Sam married Nancy Lou Zirkle on April 13, 1951 and they had five children: Samuel III, Sandra, Sharyl, Steve, and Stuart. He was a loving husband and an extraordinary father, always setting the standards high for his “Army Brats.”
Sam was special! He was competitive by nature and loved boxing, swimming, basketball, and running. Sam ran over 75 marathons (26.2 miles) before he reached the young age of 75. His favorite marathon was the Marine Corps Marathon held each year in Washington D. C. It was his first and last marathon and over the years, he ran it with Samuel III, Steve, and Sandy. Sam also competed in the Boston Marathon several times. For his fiftieth birthday, he ran an ultra-marathon, 50 miles along the C&O canal.
Sam always loved the outdoors. He hiked and backpacked as often as possible, usually with scouts. In the Bavarian Alps, he climbed Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitz, twice. He also climbed the Watzmann, Germany’s third highest mountain. Sam climbed up the Kreuzeck, in thigh deep snow, on New Year’s Eve, to bivouac on the summit and watch the fireworks set off from other summits in the Alps by fellow mountaineers. Sam climbed Mt. Whitney twice, the highest mountain in the continental United States. Born a West Virginia Mountaineer. Sam was always a Mountaineer.
Sam is survived by one Brother William Paul McCuskey, and three of the most amazing Sisters Jessie Mae McCuskey Friend, Georgeann McCuskey Dunko Nine, Mary Gladys McCuskey White, and his wife, Nancy Lou Zirkle McCuskey and children Samuel III, Sandra, Sharyl and Stuart. He was preceded in death by his son Steve.
