Saturday, November 14, 2026
Sam Shniper -Electrical Engineer and World Traveler. Sam Shniper was born and grew up in Jamaica Queens, graduating from Jamaica High School – the same high school that his father Attorney I. Robert Shniper, had attended and where his mother, Bella Shniper, taught history. He took classes at Adelphi and Hofstra Universities, while playing lead (sometimes) guitar in the Jetstreams, a rock band that played at the World Fair 1965.
Sam married Pamela Rucklin in 1967 – a loving partnership for life. They moved to Connecticut, and later also established a home in Marco Island, Florida where Sam enjoyed the last years of his life.
A self-taught electronics engineer, Sam earned three patents for his work designing temperature compensating crystal oscillators that were used for space exploration, by the military, airlines, and other commercial applications. A stickler for quality control, he also designed a computerized testing system for the devices.
He was an avid (and competitively successful) chess and tennis player. Early retirement enabled him to paint and travel widely, often melding these passions in art viewing and painting trips in Europe.
Sam with the love of his life Pam traveled the world- reaching every Continent – not only Antarctica but the polar ice cap and Pitcairn Island (of Mutiny of the Bounty fame), the Amazon and the Australian Outback. They toured, comprehensively often by car, throughout Europe, the United Kingdom, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Among his favorite places – Sam often said that he could close his eyes and hear the waves and picture the gorgeous grounds at Caneel Bay, St John. Another favorite destination was the art colony at Rockport, Massachusetts. In recent years, Sam and Pam biked the byways in New England, Florida and Marco Island.
Sam is survived by his wife, his sister Olga Boikess, his brother John Shniper and his nephew, nieces, and their children.
