Sam Jabbour

Sam Jabbour of West Roxbury passed away on January 28, 2026. He was 97 years old.

As a young boy he told his mother he wanted to be a priest. She said, ”Priests like you the church does not need!”

Years later his childhood sense of adventure drove Sam and his best friend to stow away on a freight train from Fall River, believing they were off to see the world. They ended up in nearby Providence, RI. A kindly conductor found them and asked where they wanted to go and, more importantly, where they were from. They said they wanted to go to Chicago. He put them on a cargo train and when it stopped, they were back in Fall River.

Late in his teens, Sam finally got his childhood wish to “see the world” by lying about his age to enlist in the military early, and he served proudly as a U.S. Marine stationed in China toward the end of WWII.

After every “Hafla” when St John of Damascus Church was on Museum Road, Sam would announce to everyone “Everybody back to Janice’s house”...And dozens of people would go back to their house in Brookline, 15 minutes away!

Sam was a true renaissance man. He was fearless and would try anything. He built a raft for the beach house gang, using empty Clorox bottles for flotation…dozens and dozens of them; at 60 years old he completed the building of his home in West Roxbury, beginning with his sketch on a napkin, which led to designs on graph paper, which eventually became architectural drawings. (And he paid for the double lot with cash in a paper bag!) At 70 years old while scuba diving in Brazil he had his first heart attack, which likely inspired him to finally take up a safer sport on land: he started playing golf at 70. He was self-taught and played until his last round at 93 years old. Ever the young-at-heart adventurer, Sam also helped friends drive a boat from Hyannis to Florida.

Sam was the dear and devoted husband for 70 years of the late Janice (Rawan) Jabbour. They both said the first 50 are the hardest. Beloved father of Michael Jabbour and his wife Helen, and Paula Girela, all of Dedham. Loving grandfather "Jido" of Susan Andreas and her husband Michael of NJ, Samantha Williams and her wife June of Pittsfield, Sarah Mettasophia of West Roxbury, Steven Ahto and his wife Camila of Texas, and David Ahto of Rhode Island. Dear great-grandfather "Great Jido" of Sydney, Emilia and Sophie. Loving brother of the late Mary Cardoos, Nora Khouri Barakat, Gloria Zahka, and Julia Jabbour. Sam is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.

Visiting hour Monday 9:00-10:45 a.m. at the Church of St. John of Damascus 300 West St. Dedham. Funeral Service in the Church at 11:00 a.m. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Sam will be laid to rest with his beloved Janice at Fairview Cemetery, Hyde Park.

In lieu of flowers, please make contributions in Sam's memory to the Church of St. John of Damascus (stjohnd.org) 300 West St. Dedham, MA 02026 or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (stjude.org) 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105.