Remembering Sam Beall

It has been a few weeks since Sam Beall passed away in a skiing accident at just 39. I was at the top of Ann Colgin and Joe Wender’s IX Estate vineyard in Napa Valley when the news arrived. I was devastated. Frankly, I am still shocked. Sam left behind a young wife, Marie Celeste, five children, and a rich legacy that I am sure his family will continue to honor.

Sam Beall’s many achievements in a career during which he transformed Blackberry Farm from the rural property and rustic country inn where he was born into a world-class resort have been well documented elsewhere. To me, it is Sam's human side that will remain most enduring.

I didn't know Sam well, but I had a chance to spend quite a bit of time with him at an event we hosted together at Blackberry Farm in late 2014. Sam's bright personality and total commitment to hospitality left a deep impression. I know I am not alone in feeling that way. From the moment I arrived, everything was perfect. Actually, everything was perfect before I arrived, because the staff started working on our event 18 months in advance.