William C. "Doc" Samko, 95, Remembered As 'Unforgettable Character'

Doc, we love you.  You will be deeply missed by all of us – colleagues, alumni, and students – here at WA.

Ronald M. Cino

Longtime beloved Worcester Academy athletic trainer and special assistant to the athletic director William C. Samko died today at the age of 95. Known as “Bill” to some, though “Doc” to most, he began at the Academy in 1967, eventually serving as special assistant, a post he held starting in 2004.  Remembered as a friend to all, Doc only recently stopped coming into the office.

A tireless advocate for Worcester Academy athletics, Doc Samko was a pioneer in his field, helping to establish the first state and national standards for athletic trainers.  He was a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, where he worked prior to coming to Worcester Academy, and once served as an associate professor in orthopedics and physical rehabilitation at UMass Medical School.

He had a master’s degree in education and pioneered the use of molded padding by athletes so that they could return to play with protection. He led the way for the establishment of the National Athletic Trainers Association, of which he is a charter member, in 1970. In the early-70s, Doc collaborated with his close friend, Dr. Paul V. Shannon ’31, forming one of the first, if not the first, orthopedic and physical therapy teams in the country. Working together, these two specialists were pioneers in a new specialty, known today as Sports Medicine.

While at Holy Cross, Doc helped the likes of Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, and other greats of that era and was the trainer for the 1947 Holy Cross national basketball championship team.

Doc started at Worcester Academy under then-athletic director and boys basketball coach Donald E. “Dee” Rowe ’47 and went on to work under succeeding WA athletic directors Thomas Blackburn and Edward Reilly.  Altogether, Doc served the Academy for 47 years.

Each of the men offered their fondest remembrances of Doc.

Dee Rowe '47, who currently serves as special assistant to the head of school at Worcester Academy, left WA in the 1970s to coach basketball at UConn. He has always maintained the close relationships that he formed at the Academy; perhaps none closer than the friendship he had with Doc.

“It’s a very tough loss of a man who was truly a treasure for all of us,” said Dee.  “He loved wearing the Worcester Academy uniform and he was totally committed to the kids, their games, and to building their lives. He made a difference for all who were privileged to know him.

“He loved the Academy,” Dee said.  “He loved his profession, and he loved Holy Cross, the city of Worcester, his wife, Justine, and their family.”

Doc’s wife, Justine Samko died last year at the age of 87.

“There will never be another like him,” Dee said, emphasizing his words.  “I will forever cherish our special bond.”

Former AD and baseball coach Tom Blackburn said Doc will be greatly missed, though Tom said he was blessed to have been able to call Doc both a colleague and a friend.

“He will be remembered because he touched the lives of so many people in so many ways in life,” Tom said.  “I had so much admiration for him because of the type of person he was. He was a very caring person and a lot of people looked up to him and went to him for advice,” he added.  “I’ll miss him as a friend and as a former colleague.”

Current Director of Athletics Ed Reilly said Doc has positively impacted the lives of a generation of Worcester Academy students and families.

“His passing marks the end of a cherished link between our past and our present,” said Ed.  “While the memory of Doc will mean different things to different folks, most would agree that there was no finer professional, no one more loyal to cause, and, certainly, no one more unwavering in his devotion as a friend.

“Doc was an icon who will be sorely missed, but who will always be celebrated as a pioneer in his profession, a devoted husband and father, and as an individual who fully understood and embraced the concept of being the consummate team player.”

While Doc left an indelible mark on the Academy and all who knew him, he was equally well regarded by athletic trainers everywhere, by fellow educators, and by industry leaders.  Among the accolades he earned over the years were induction into the National Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame (1986), the Worcester Academy Hall of Fame (1991), the St. Peter-Marian High School Hall of Fame (2006), the New England Basketball Hall of Fame (2006), and the Athletic Trainers of Massachusetts Hall of Fame (2009).

Additional honors include the National Athletic Trainer’s Association’s first 25-Year Service Award, and the association’s Award of Appreciation (1976), the Kerkor Kassabian Award for Athletic Trainer of Massachusetts (1996), and the All American Football Foundation Outstanding Trainer Award (2000).

He was the New England Basketball Association’s Trainer of the Year in 1966, and, at the same time, headed the committee for the Licensure of Massachusetts athletic trainers.

In 2004, the William “Doc” Samko Scholarship was established at WA by Doc’s friends and family to honor his 40-plus years of service to the Academy. It is awarded annually to a deserving student-athlete with demonstrated financial need.

Doc leaves his sons, William P. Samko ’69 and Philip W. Samko ’72, and an extended family.