Date of Birth: October 1942 | Date of Death: August 5, 2025
It’s with great sorrow to announce the recent passing of Samuel Gary Gugliotta, M.Ed., in Lewisville, Texas.
Sam is an inquisitive yearning soul, forever young, forever chasing the truth. He’ll be forever missed!
“LIFE, FOR ME, HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SEARCH FOR DISCOVERY, TO KNOW, AND TO GROW.” – SAMUEL GARY GUGLIOTTA, 12/19/1974
“LOVE, LIKE THE MOON, ALWAYS RETURNS.” – SAMUEL GARY GUGLIOTTA
A math educator, lifelong reader, writer, thinker, poet, and by virtual of his life-long interest, a philosopher, Samuel Gary Gugliotta was hailed from Montclair, New Jersey.
Growing up in a small Italian neighborhood, he spent most of his earlier years in his hometown, attending schools, going to a Catholic church and having fun with friends and families. In his younger age, his dream was to become a Catholic priest.
In his youth, he went to study at Rutgers University and earned an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and a Master of Education degree in Mathematics. He was an ABD (all but dissertation) in Mathematics from Rutgers University.
In his prime years on Earth, he spent most of his time in New York City and the northeastern region of the U.S. He enjoyed reading, drawing, and collecting books on philosophy and civilization, playing harmonica, visiting museums and art shows, and, more especially, exchanging ideas with inspirational and aspiring authors and artists at the time.
His love for knowledge and culture led him to the pacific islands in the 1990’s, where he spent nearly 10 years as a math educator at Northern Marianas College and a contributing author for Marianas Variety, a prominent local newspaper.
He published numerous articles for the Newspaper’s weekly column, “Gecko Corner”, where he shared his insights and vast knowledge that he learned throughout his lifetime, more specifically, on philosophy, nature, culture, civilization, religion, science and mathematics. His articles opened the eyes and expanded the views of many.
In his life, Sam had touched and made positive impacts on many lives in the U.S., from the east to the west, and around the world, from the pacific islands to China and South Korea. His insights, wits, humors, gentleness, kindness and generosity were memories of many that came across his path.
Sam is survived by Kui Cheng, his longtime friend, partner, and caregiver, Anitra Lavanhar, daughter, Marlin Lavanhar, son-in-law, Elias Lavanhar, grandson, Lyla Lavanhar, granddaughter, George T. Gugliotta, older brother and his wife Dorthy Gugliotta, Diane Gugliotta, sister, and her husband Jon P. Drossos, Frances Lougheed, younger sister, Gene Gugliotta, younger brother, and longtime friends Susan Halper from Montclair, New Jersey and Bobbie Stead from New Hampshire. Sam was predeceased by his parents Francisco G. Gugliotta and Maria A. Autorino.
A virtual service will be held among families and friends at 4 p.m., central time on August 17, 2025. A GoFundMe account has been set up to raise fund for the compilation and eventual publishing of Sam’s lifetime work and to raise awareness of how the system of hospice neglects the will and wishes of a person that is dying and leaves the person defenseless yet have to suffer all the consequences. Here is the link for donation: https://gofund.me/41b692bc
Sam, May you rest in peace and in the presence of our loving God. May you return to and unite with your source and live happily ever after in heaven!
Here is a glimpse of Samuel’s mind in his own words. “. . . I first got married, 10 years ago, then there was NYC (New York City), graduate school, 5ht street, then down south, Florida, New Orleans, then up to Canada, then back to the big apple and jobs and bars and learning and growing, and learning on the streets, alone and with people in the high nights… and, now back to Jersey on this little farm making a mess of trying to settle down, longing for some new adventure . . . If any of this makes any sense, that I have a very difficult time relating to my past, that past in the hometown, but my best memories, the memories I love were those of you and us . . .” – SAMUEL GARY GUGLIOTTA, 12/19/1974
“After fifty years of living, rising and falling, making moves correct and incorrect, suffering the ups and downs, the twists and turns, the irony and reversals of chance and necessity, I return to that impressionable youth in his twenties, only this time, tempered by the hard knocks of experience, I am not so overawed by the magnificence of one person’s thought. A good book is what I see and read. And I measure a good book by how many times you may reread it, at different times and seasons of one’s life, and still find something new, something exciting, or to be reminded of forgotten truths or insights.” – SAMUEL GARY GUGLIOTTA
“About 50 years ago, in those halcyon days of youth, intensity, and sea change, I was enthralled by a particular philosopher; an Englishman, turned American, with rather grand sounding highfalutin name of “Alfred North Whitehead,” and I was especially enamored to his great work, “Process and Reality: An Essay in Cosmology.” Well, I will call him “Al.” Regardless, here was philosophy in the grand style. A way to explain everything and anything, in one coherent picture. Each sentence stuck me as a magnificent, noble statue, ringing the grand bells of profundity in my yearning brain. Here was a way to see the world, where everything has its place and reason for being.” – SAMUEL GARY GUGLIOTTA
Here is a peak at Sam’s heart as revealed in poems.
BACKYARD BONGOS
– Samuel Gary Gugliotta
BACKYARD BONGES IN THE FALLIN RAIN
TAP TAP TAPPING ON MY WINDOWPANE
BACKYARD BONGOS IN THE FALLIN RAIN.
FOUND MYSELF WITHOUT A PLACE TO GO
RUN OUT OF ROADS IN NEW MEXICO
STUCK FOREVER ON A GREAT PLATEAU
STUCK FOREVER IN NEW MEXICO.
RAINDROPS HANGGIN FROM THE LEAVES OF TREES
GLISTEN LIKE CHRYSTALS IN WINTER BREEZE
JANUARY IN JANUS TOWN
ONE FACE SMILES AND THE OTHER FROWNS
SITTEN HOME ALONE
NO ONE AT THE DOOR OR ON THE PHONE
GUESS I’LL JUST BIDE MY TIME
SINGING SINGS AND SIPPIN WINE
THE BACKYARD BONGOS IN THE WINTERTIME.
MOONMAKER
– Samuel Gary Gugliotta
LAST NIGHT THE MOON WAS BIT
LIKE A COOKIE ON A PLATTER
SOME ONE HAD TASTED QUICKLY
BEFORE REPLACING AS IF
NOTHING HAPENNED NOTHING
GAINED AND A WANDERING STAR
STOOD BY GAZING AT THE ENTIRE
EPISODE TAKING NOTES.
IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME I DON’T
BLAME YOU BUT I DO BLAME
YOUR PARENTS OR PERHAPS THE WAY
MOONLIGHT MISSED YOUR WINDOW
THAT ONE NIGHT YOU DREAMT YOUR EYES
WERE OPEN AS THOSE SHADOWS DANCED
AND PUT YOU IN HYPNOTIC TRANCE FOREVER.
MOONLIGHT WAS HERE ABOVE THE BAY
THE SURFACE LIKE A VELVET PLATTER
WHICH HELD THE SILVER SPOONS OF MOON
LIGHT AND THE SURFACE SHONE AN ERRIE
GLOW TO GUIDE THE SAILORS HOME.
