Frederick John '(Sam)' Sawkins

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Sawkins, Frederick John (Sam) Born September 15, 1935, Cape Town, South Africa. Sam Sawkins passed away in his home on the Rappahan-nock River in Urbanna, Virginia on Thursday, October 6 with his loving wife, Ginny, by his side. He is survived by Ginny, his children, Peter Sawkins (Christine) and Annemarie Sawkins, Ginny's son, Dan Stephano (Helene), his two beloved grandchildren, Emma and Cate, and his buddy and much loved dog "Larry." Sam grew up in Cape Town where he attended Bishops Diocesan College and the University of Cape Town. As a geologist, Sam travelled from Cape Town to Cairo and lived in the bush for months at a time. From Africa he moved to England where he attended the London School of Mines, and then to Princeton University where he earned his Ph.D. in economic geology. He later earned a post-doctorate degree at the University of Durham, England. Sam lived in Lima, Peru before moving to Minneapolis in 1968 at which time he took a position at the University of Minnesota where he was a Professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics until 1991. Sam co-authored the textbook The Evolving Earth, and the highly lauded Metal Deposits in Relation to Plate Tectonics, along with over 50 articles in various professional journals. His commitment to science never stopped and his legacy in the field of science and physics will not soon be forgotten. In August Sam was awarded special recognition by the Geological Society of South Africa (GSSA) at the Geological Society's 35th International Congress held in Cape Town. In recognition for his lifelong contributions in the field of economic geology and its relation to plate tectonics, he received the Des Pretorius Memorial Medal recognizing his many achievements in economic geology, an award for which he was most proud. A memorial gathering will take place on the Chesapeake Bay aboard the F.D. Crockett, Deltaville, Virginia in the fall of 2017. Contributions to Rappahannock Community College (for science education), Warsaw, Va., the Middlesex County Public Library, Urbanna, Va., the Deltaville Maritime Museum, and the Middlesex County Animal Shelter, Saluda, Va. would please him very much. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. In loving memory.

Published on October 23, 2016