Sharon "Sam" (Myers) Luzader

Sharon "Sam" Luzader died August 6, 2024 at the Linda White Hospice Center from complications of cancer. 

Sam was born in Evansville, Indiana on March 20, 1944 to Mary Bracher Myers and Herb Myers. Her stepfather was Clarence "Red" Hudspeth.  She attended Bosse High School and received a BA degree in 1966 and MA in 1973 from the University of Evansville. She was a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.  In 1983 she married Steve Luzader whose life's work would run parallel to Sam's.

In December of 1959, Sam told the Courier-Press that her New Year’s resolution was to become a varsity majorette for the Bosse band. In 1960, she stepped onto the field at Bosse with two flaming batons spinning in her capable hands. Years later, her colleagues at the Southwestern Indiana Mental Health Center would refer to the many tasks set before Sam as her “flaming batons,” always certain she would handle each one with grace, humor, and sparkle. 

As an ally for those with severe and persistent mental illness in Evansville and the surrounding community, Sam was unmatched. When President Kennedy proposed moving patients from institutions back into the community, the community health center movement was born, and Sam was a foundational part of those early years. 

As the only Director of Support Services during her entire tenure at SWIMHC, she was responsible for implementing every mandate to integrate state hospital patients back into the communities of southwestern Indiana, which included easing patients back into family homes, apartment living programs, independent living programs, supported employment, and Assertive Community Treatment. Because of its excellence, The Community Support Program department Sam directed was featured in the national publication Reintegration Today. 

In 1996 Sam was diagnosed with breast cancer, but her attitude was always "whatever it takes" when it came to providing patient care, and when she began undergoing chemotherapy, another flaming baton, she scheduled her treatments on Fridays so she could recover over the weekend and return to work in top form on Monday. She saw patients as people first, and because her kindness was evident in every interaction, she was equally beloved by patients and staff alike. In 2005 Sam was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the Reintegration Awards Board, a national organization which honors the achievements of a healthcare professional who has made remarkable contributions to many lives. 

Years later Sam developed a familial tremor, another flaming baton, but she continued to act as a strong advocate for patients and a mentor to colleagues. She nurtured scores of professionals within the mental health care system, always urging those around her to keep a goal in mind and work toward it. Her dedication and professionalism were inspirational, the visionary programs she created were unprecedented, and always the motivating force behind her work was simply to improve the lives of others. No matter the difficulty of the task that lay ahead, no matter the number of flaming batons set before her, she delighted in her work and her life, which was always evident in her mischievous, twinkling, infectious smile. 

She was actively involved with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and served as a board director for Ark Crisis Nursery.  Sam was nominated for The Athena Award for her leadership and achievements as a woman in the field of mental health care.

Sam had many hobbies and a wide circle of loving friends. An avid knitter, she enjoyed time with the Sheepskeins who provided knitting expertise and camaraderie. A talent in the kitchen, she spent many evenings with Thyme in the Kitchen staff who helped her advance her culinary skills, and she made regular day trips to Historic New Harmony with a close circle of lifelong friends who kept her laughing and marveled at her resilience and her wellspring of optimism. 

Sam is survived by her husband of forty-one years, Steve Luzader, friends-as-family Meredith and David Glantz and their daughters Sydney, Brylee, and Taylor for whom she was known as Nana, much loved nieces, nephews, and countless other family and friends she nurtured through the years. 

Donations in memory of Sam can be made to Friends of Mental Health, 415 Mulberry Street, Evansville, Indiana 47713 and to NAMI Indiana Inc-Evansville,  c/o Larry Back, 4233 Bethany Church Rd., Boonville, IN 47601

A celebration of Sam's life is planned at a later date.

Boone Funeral Home East Chapel – A Family Tradition Funeral Home, 5330 Washington Avenue, Evansville, IN, is handling the arrangements and is honored to serve the family of Sharon "Sam" Luzader. Condolences may be made to the family online at boonefuneralhome.net

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Sharon "Sam" (Myers) Luzader, please visit our floral store.