Sam Sobczak

Sam Sobczak, 81, of Susquehanna Township, passed away on Saturday, December 26, 2020, at UPMC Pinnacle Community Osteopathic Hospital.

Born on September 15, 1939, in DuBois, PA, he was the son of the late Walter L. Sobczak and Helen Stepanausky Sobczak. Sam graduated from DuBois High School in 1957 where he was vice-president of his class, a starting guard on the basketball team, a pole vaulter on the track team and an honorable mention all-state selection by the Associated Press and the United Press International for his football team. During his senior season, Sam led the county in scoring with 109 points.

He went on to play football at Penn State, lettering three years for the Nittany Lions. At Penn State, Sam was a fullback and gained 800 career yards in three seasons. As the rules were then Sam would switch from offense to defense and he played as a defensive back as Penn State’s first “Hero Back”.

Sam played in the 1959 and 1960 Liberty Bowls, both won by the Nittany Lions beating Alabama in 1959 and Oregon in 1960. In 1960, he also played in the All-Star Copper Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona. Sam was a member of the Clearfield County Region Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

After graduating from Penn State in 1961, for five years, he taught math and coached the football team and the golf team at Harriton High School, of the Lower Merion School District, in Rosemont, PA. Sam received his Master’s Degree from Villanova University in 1965. The next seventeen years, Sam was a math teacher and a coach of football and golf at Susquehanna Township High School, Harrisburg. He had an opportunity to change careers and went to work at the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency as a Program Director until his retirement in 2000.

Sam was a wonderful father, husband, PopPop and friend. He liked nothing more than cheering for his Nittany Lions with big tail-gates offering food and drink to the many friends who stopped by. He had been a season ticket holder since 1973 and for thirty-nine years, he and his wife arranged bus trips, “The Rathskeller on Wheels” to the; Penn State away football games. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

He was a member of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Catholic Church, a lifetime member of the Penn State Alumni Association, the Penn State Football Letterman’s Club, the Delta Upsilon Fraternity, American Legion Post 1001 and the William Penn Social Association.

Sam is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Mae Latsha Sobczak; his son, Eric E. Sobczak and his wife, Courtney and their children, Kendall and Keegan of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL; his daughter, Jodi L. Bannon and her sons, Brandon and Justin of Harrisburg; sister-in-law, Colleen E. Latsha; nephew, Robert E. Latsha, Jr.; grandnephew Steven; niece, Victoria E. Denk and her husband, Gregory; grandniece, Lauren Burns (Sean) and Hannah; brother-in-law, Donald E. Latsha and his wife, Cathy; grandniece, Ashley Edelman (Jesse) and their daughter, Eleanor.

He was preceded in death by his brother-in-law, Robert E. Latsha.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, January 7, 2021, at 11:00 A.M. at Saint Margaret Mary Church, 2800 Paxton Church Road, Susquehanna Township, with The Rev. Fr. Daniel F.X. Powell officiating. Attendees are encouraged to exercise proper precautions, including the wearing of masks and appropriate social distancing. Funeral services will be live streamed at www.stmmparish.org. Burial at Riverview Cemetery as well as a memorial (tail-gate) gathering to celebrate Sam will be held at a date to be determined.

Arrangements by Geigle Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions in loving memory of Sam may be made to the Hospice of Central Pennsylvania 1320 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg, PA, 17110 or to the Football Letterman’s Club’s Football Excellence Fund. Check is payable to Penn State and the address is ATTEN: Angie Hummel, Penn State University Lasch Building, Hasting Drive, University Park, PA 16802.