Albert Dean “Sam” Angove

October 9, 1936 – March 10, 2026

Albert Dean “Sam” Angove passed away peacefully at his home in Mesa, AZ on March 10, 2026 in the company of his beloved wife Joyce.

Sam was born on October 9th, 1936 in Shelton, Washington to Irving and Jean Angove. In January of 1955, Sam enlisted in the US Navy in San Diego, CA. Sam left active duty in 1964 but remained in the reserves and went on to complete over 27 years of combined active and reserve service retiring with the of rank of Chief Boatswain’s Mate (E7) in 1986.

In 1968 Sam earned his Bachelor’s of Science degree from the College of Natural Resources and Sciences at Humboldt State College in Arcata, California. He then moved his young family to Spokane, Washington where he was named Spokane County Parks and Recreation Director. While in Spokane, Sam was a tireless advocate for preserving the natural environment. As the Chair of the Spokane chapter of The Sierra Club he provided expert testimony in support of local congressional representatives in various efforts to protect vast regions of pristine public lands from industrial development. Most notably, Sam’s efforts helped pave the way for the passage of Public Law 96-312: The Central Idaho Wilderness Act of 1980. This act established the Frank Church “River of No Return” Wilderness within the Idaho Primitive Area, ensuring the Salmon River Basin would remain Wild and Scenic for generations to come.

Closer to home, Sam was relentless in protecting, and securing public access to, Spokane’s natural spaces. Sam overcame more than a decade of difficult negotiations and procedural hurdles to finally see his dream realized with the establishment of the Little Spokane River Natural Area in 1985. Sam also helped to lay the groundwork for what would become Spokane’s Centennial Trail that today extends along more than 40 miles of the Spokane River from Nine-Mile-Falls to the Idaho border. An avid and accomplished golfer, Sam was also committed to ensuring a top-quality golfing experience in Spokane County to include overseeing the design and construction of Meadowood Golf Course at Liberty Lake, WA.

In 1996 Sam relocated to Mesa Arizona where he met a life partner in Joyce. Sam and Joyce enjoyed travelling the country visiting family, kayaking the ocean, rivers and lakes, and experiencing the untamed outdoor world that Sam had dedicated his life to preserving. Sam also continued with his other passion, building and restoring antique automobiles. On March 13, 2026, Sam’s cherished 1929 Model A “Woody” made one final appearance at Mesa’s “East Valley Cruisers” Car Show as more than 80 of Sam’s car club buddies paid their final respects.

Sam is survived by Joyce Angove, children Michael Angove and Stephanie Wieber, six grandchildren (Alexandra, Emma, Andersen, Creighton, Thea and Aaron) former wife Patricia and step-children Mark Shifter, Suzanne Shifter Sawyer, and John P. Myer