Samuel Dwight Canup

Samuel Dwight Canup passed away at home peacefully on May 28th after a battle with cancer. A Rockwall, Texas native and longtime resident of Dallas and Uncertain, Texas, Sam served as Mayor of the City of Uncertain for 12 years. He also had a career as an field engineer in Dallas. Recently, Sam and his spouse Randi were the proprietors of Caddo Grocery, Hoot n Holler guest cottage and Lafitte’s Landing guest cottages at Caddo Lake.

Born May 23, 1947 to Eloise Collins Canup and A.J. Canup, Jr. Sam grew up in Rockwall and was a 1965 graduate of Rockwall High School. He served in the U.S. Air National Guard, attended Arlington State College, and went on to hold a 25-year career with IBM, from which he retired in 1994.

Sam has been married to Randi Doyle since 1991, and they moved from Dallas to Uncertain in 1994. Sam was married to Suzanne Peoples from 1970 to 1979.

Sam was elected Mayor of the City of Uncertain in 2005 and served until 2017. As Mayor, Sam promoted Caddo Lake tourism, worked to sustain the lake’s fragile ecosystem, assisted multiple flood relief operations and advocated on behalf of the citizens of the city. Sam joined a task force of Texas city mayors, including Houston and Dallas, aimed at halting plans to build 18 coal-fired power plants. Pointing to the negative impact emissions would have had on Caddo Lake and Uncertain, the group succeeded and the proposed plants were never built.

Sam Canup is preceded in death by his parents, Eloise and A.J. Canup, Jr. and his grandparents, Georgia and Andrew Jackson Canup, all of Rockwall County.

He is survived by his spouse Randi G. Doyle of Dallas and his son and stepchildren, Teresa Wyatt Vanderenden and spouse Hans Vanderenden of Dallas, James Canup of Austin, John Spargo and spouse Erica Husser of Spring Mills, Pennsylvania, and James Spargo and partner Sonya Min of Portland, Oregon. Randi and Sam have 5 grandchildren, Roan Spargo, Ava Vanderenden, Andre Vanderenden, Quinn Spargo and Sean Spargo.

Sam’s immediate family is grateful for sister-in-law Jerre Merchant and cousins Patty and David Canup for helping during Sam’s illness. Family members are especially thankful for the kindness and friendship of Dottie Carter, Timothy MacLarty, Bryan Barnes, Sara Smith, Narcissa and Hap Channell, the team at Texas Oncology – Longview, Heart’s Way Hospice nurses and staff, and the people of Uncertain and Caddo Lake.

Celebrations of Sam’s life will be held both in Uncertain and Rockwall once it is safe for groups to be together. Friends are invited to wear a pair of overalls, preferably Big Smith or Dickie’s brand, as a tribute to Sam and his most preferred attire. Memorial contributions may be given to the cancer charity of one’s choice or to the Greater Caddo Lake Association of Texas (www.gclaoftx.org).