John Samuel was known by his family and friends for his spirit and generosity and will be remembered for his sense of humor and love of life.
Samuel, a recent UCLA graduate, died when his Honda motorcycle went off the road and crashed in Van Nuys south of Victory Boulevard, going over an embankment on the 405 freeway. Before the crash, Los Angeles police tried to pull Samuel over for traffic violations.
He graduated with a degree in political science on Sunday, just hours before his death early Monday morning.
According to Mike Luevano, an officer with the California Highway Patrol, Samuel died after his motorcycle went off the road.
“(Samuel) was ejected from the motorcycle and he sustained fatal injuries,” Luevano told the Los Angeles Times. “(The) LAPD unit lost sight of the motorcycle and arrived at the collision scene moments later.”
Samuel is survived by his parents, Magdy and Gihan Samuel, and his two younger siblings, Michael, 19, and Jasmine, 12. His funeral was held Saturday, June 23, at St. Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Church. He was buried at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery.
Samuel graduated from high school in 2001 and took classes at Valley College and Pierce College before transferring to UCLA. He had been studying to take his LSAT in July, and he wanted to go into corporate law, said Nancy Habib, Samuel’s cousin and a UCLA alumna.
Friends and family mourn the loss of Samuel and recall his willingness to help his loved ones.
“There’s always someone in your life that, if you needed something, he would do it for you. He was that person,” Habib said.
Habib and Samuel had gone to elementary and high school together. She last saw her cousin on Sunday, June 17.
“His parents threw him a graduation party that day. The last time I saw him, he came by my house to pick up the parking pass he let me use. He had been fixing my car window for me. Even though he had something else to do, he’d always help to do something you needed. That’s my last memory of him,” Habib said.
But Habib said she and her family are upset about how Samuel’s death was portrayed in the media. She did not believe Samuel was much of a rule-breaker.
“He had a new motorcycle that he was really excited about; he’d only had it a month or so. In terms of the accident, nobody really knows. … He wasn’t really the kind of person who would go against the rules,” Habib said.
Ori Ayonmike, a political science student who graduated with Samuel on Sunday, said it did not matter how he had died, only that he should be remembered for the life he led.
“Circumstances don’t change the fact that the world lost a great guy,” Ayonmike said. “He was such a good guy, just such a good guy, and he never wanted anything in return.”
The two had met in class during summer school and with Samuel’s help, Ayonmike said he was able to complete his degree in only one year after transferring.
“The guy was just an angel. Without him, I don’t know how I would have done it. He was always there to guide me,” Ayonmike said.
Ian Estrada, a UCLA alumnus, had known Samuel since his freshman year of high school at Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills. Nine years later, they were still good friends.
They drifted apart somewhat after high school, he said, but once they were back at UCLA together, it was like nothing had ever changed.
“I remember that I didn’t have to do small talk with him, it was like we were right back on track. He was just genuine. He was just right back into normal, joking around again in the first five minutes after three years,” Estrada said.
Tom Maksemous, a fifth-year political science student, became close with Samuel in the past year. They were members of the same church, and they were both transfer students.
“I’d known him before, we were both Egyptian members of the Coptic Orthodox church. I knew of him, but I really met him this past year, and he took me under his wing. He really showed me how to succeed at UCLA,” he said.
Maksemous said that he could always rely on Samuel’s dependability and kindness, especially with academic matters.
“Everything from picking teachers to showing me how to write a paper, how to study for a test. … If I missed class, I could get the notes from John,” Maksemous said.
They were also studying to take the LSAT together.
“He was just showing me how to do the LSAT, we were going do that together. He was originally in the 140s, but was breaking the 160s when he passed away. That’s the kind of diligence he had,” he said.
Maksemous added that Samuel was known for helping his fellow transfer students.
“When I first came here as a transfer, I was really scared and awkward, and with John’s guidance and patience, I was able to succeed,” he said.
Maksemous also said he would remember Samuel for his perennial generosity.
“I remember one day it was freezing, and he just gave me his huge Lakers sweater. That was him right there. He sees me shivering, he gives me his Lakers sweater, without even asking. John always gave without asking,” he said.