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As manager of Kamp's Florsheim Shoes on Main Street downtown, then at Greengate Mall, Mr. Gilbert sold shoes to countless locals and trimmed window displays for both his and other Kamp's stores throughout western Pennsylvania.

"Ninety percent of the time, he was at Greengate, but he did do displays in all the Kamp's stores," said Mr. Gilbert's son, Samuel M. Gilbert.

Samuel P. Gilbert, of Greensburg, died Wednesday, March 9, at home. He was 82.

Along with selling shoes, Mr. Gilbert was also a veteran of the United States Navy in World War II, an accomplished artist, an avid gardener and cook, and a devoted husband and family man.

He did this all while suffering from severely damaged lungs resulting from a condition similar to Legionnaire's Disease that he sustained during the war.

"My dad contracted his illness aboard a ship, but they were in battle, so there wasn't much they could do for him," Samuel M. Gilbert said.

By the time Mr. Gilbert made it to Philadelphia Naval Hospital after the war, one of his lungs was so badly damaged that doctors said they would have to remove it.

"If they would have removed the lung, my dad would have been like a hunchback," Samuel M. Gilbert said.

Instead, Mr. Gilbert chose to keep both lungs and make do. As a result, he was awarded status as a full-time disabled veteran.

"That's not something that happens too often," Samuel M. Gilbert said. "His lungs were bad all his life; he could barely walk."

But that didn't stop Mr. Gilbert from growing mums and tomato plants in his garden.

"He won at least four or five awards for growing mums," said Mr. Gilbert's wife of 52 years, Margaret "Peggy" McCarthy Gilbert.

Or from cooking scrumptious meals.

"He was a very good cook; he made dishes like you've never seen. Delicious! That's what I'm really going to miss," Margaret Gilbert said.

Or from sketching and painting a large nativity scene for display in his yard at Christmas, or from reading a newspaper every day, from front page to back.

"He always knew about all the current events, and I could always have an intelligent conversation with him about them," Samuel M. Gilbert said. "I'm really going to miss that."

Mr. Gilbert also leaves behind grateful colleagues on the job, like Steve Krivonik, who today owns the Kamp's store at Westmoreland Mall.

"I learned a lot from him, like how to trim windows. I also learned the concept of selling shoes and providing quality customer service," said Krivonik, who was Mr. Gilbert's assistant manager for the six years leading up to Gilbert's 1980 retirement. "Sam was a good man ... very dedicated."

Mr. Gilbert was also dedicated to his family, especially his grandchildren.

"He's always been there for all of us the past 25 years," Samuel M. Gilbert said.

In addition to his wife and son, survivors of Mr. Gilbert include a daughter, Lisa Marie Filapose and husband, Jeffery; and two grandchildren, Samuel V. Gilbert and Ashley Lynn Filapose, all of Greensburg; a sister, Pauline Boldin, of Johnstown; and several nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate the life of Samuel from 7 to 9 p.m. today and from 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday in the Clement L. Pantalone Funeral Home Inc., 409 W. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg.

Prayers will be held in the funeral home at 9 a.m. Monday, followed by a funeral Mass at 9:30 a.m. in the Church of St. Paul, Greensburg, Father Daniel C. Mahoney as celebrant. Interment will follow in Westmoreland County Memorial Park, Hempfield Township.

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