Samuel Armagost

Samuel Gordon Armagost, 71, of Columbia, SC, formerly of Oil City, passed away on August 15, 2020 after a three-year battle with cancer. Born in Titusville, PA on June 14, 1949, he was the son to the late Walter and Sophia Walentoski Armagost. He was known to the Oil City community by his radio name, “Sam Gordon” and to his family and their friends as Dutch.

He is survived by his wife of 40-years, Esther Maxwell Armagost of Oil City; three daughters, April Britton of Columbia, SC, Glynnis Flores and her husband Brian of Portersville, PA and Destanie Armagost of Pittsburgh; two granddaughters, Victoria and Elowyn, two grandsons, Tristan and Sammy, and a great grandson, Axel. Sam had two life-long best friends, Stan Grzasko of Oil City and Brent Houston of Takoma Park, Maryland.

Sam attended the Assumption Blessed Virgin Mary Grade School, Venango Catholic High School, and graduated from Oil City High School in 1967. He attended Devry Technical Institute in Chicago, IL and Columbia School of Broadcasting in Pittsburgh. Returning to school in 2000, he earned his Associate’s degree in Communications from Clarion University.

His 46-year radio career began in 1970 at WTIV in Titusville. In 1972, Sam started at Oil City’s WKRZ, blending radio and sales. WKRZ became WOYL/WRJS, the radio station Sam managed from 1981 to 2000. He then transitioned to his final radio gig as advertising sales rep and host of the morning show at 96.3 WKQW.

For 30 years, Sam was producer and host of “Out and About” on Venango Video, the local public access TV station. He was a writer for The Titusville Herald and shot freelance video for Erie’s news station, WICU. He taught courses in public speaking and electronics at Dubois Business School. He announced dirt bike racing at Countyline Motocross and Darkhorse Championship Wrestling matches, and owned a small second hand oddities shop called The Yardsale.

Sam was a devout member of St. Stephen’s Church where he was a lector for decades, CCD religious education director in the 80s and taught for several years in the early 2000s. One of his favorite services at the church was the basket blessing on Easter Saturday where he would bless 120 eggs the family dyed to distribute to families in need.

An avid rocket and NASA enthusiast, Sam the “Rocketman” was the creator of Windy Rocket Base, the “world’s largest model rocket base” in 1/20 scale at Maple Cave Field in Cooperstown. He later moved on to develop the Interstate Rocket Launch Facility—IRLF—in Clintonville. Sam taught rocketry workshops to local 4H groups, Kids in College classes through Clarion University’s Venango campus and was a member of Tripoli Rocketry Association for high powered rocketry.

Sam was always busy during Oil Heritage festivities. From DJing the pool party at Hasson Pool, to creating parade floats for his rocket facilities and the radio station, entering his Opel GT in the car show, to later announcing the parade and organizing the Polish Picnic at Stevens and Standard Memorial Park, a park created with his brother, Steve, to commemorate the polish neighborhood they grew up in. In 2001, Oil City honored Sam with the Citizen of the Year award.

Sam DJed local weddings and dance parties at Scierka’s Tavern and the PNA Club where he dressed as Santa Claus and brought his daughters and their friends dressed as elves every Christmas in the early 90s. He was a member of the Pulaski, VFW and Knights of Columbus.