Senior Samuel Waters remembered

Rice University senior Samuel Waters died at his home in Falls Church, Va., Jan. 27 after a five-year battle with cancer. He was 22.

A memorial service and concert will be held at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music March 12 at 10 a.m. in Duncan Recital Hall.

“As we grieve, let us all take the time to remember Sam and to reflect on how fortunate we were that he chose to join us at Rice,” Rice Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson said in an email to the campus community. “In his letters to me over the past year, he always spoke of his love for Rice and his drive to complete his Rice education.”

A Brown College resident and vocal performance major, Waters was a student of Stephen King, the Lynette S. Autrey Chair of Voice at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music. At Rice, Waters performed in opera productions of John Musto’s “Volpone” and Handel’s “Ariodante,” in addition to a series of vocal recitals.

“Samuel Waters left an indelible mark on all who were fortunate enough to know him,” King said. “In spite of his circumstances, he gave far more than he took. His support and encouragement for colleagues young and old was truly remarkable. Samuel was completely fascinated by the musical craft and was always focused on the journey that he would take in the years ahead. Sadly, we will not get to see what path that determination would have blazed. Samuel’s faith, talent and passion will continue to be a touchstone for all of us in the days ahead as we celebrate his life.”

“Samuel was a person of a deep faith, brave and also very open and honest,” said Brown College masters Jose Aranda and Krista Comer. “He kept people close to him even as he got the most difficult news.”

Aranda and Comer noted that Waters maintained “a joy and spark about him” that they described as remarkable for someone who continually faced grave circumstances.

“Samuel had many, many friends,” they said.

Waters’ music career began at the age of 7 when he was prepped to sing a solo in his church’s annual Christmas pageant. In 2007 he won a regional competition to perform the national anthem at a Washington Nationals baseball game.

He performed in a number of productions as a student at George Mason High School in Falls Church, including a 2009 performance as Seymour in “Little Shop of Horrors” and a 2010 role as Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables.” In 2011, shortly after his cancer diagnosis, he appeared at the annual Cappies Gala at the Kennedy Center honoring the best high school dramatic and musical productions from the previous year and was named “best male vocalist.” He also performed at Relay For Life events hosted by his hometown chapter of the American Cancer Society.

Waters’ personal blog, started just weeks before his death, included a poignant account as a cancer patient and was featured in the op-ed section of the Falls Church News-Press. The blog is online at https://samwisewaters.wordpress.com/.

He is survived by his parents, Jim and Claire, and his brother, Tyler.

Funeral services for Waters will be held 10:30 a.m. Feb. 15 at Cherrydale Baptist Church, 3910 Lorcom Lane, Arlington, Va. A lunch reception will immediately follow the service.

– See more at: http://news.rice.edu/2016/02/01/senior-samuel-waters-remembered/#sthash.2eZIuUFC.dpuf