Sanford "Sam" Kinzer

Sanford "Sam" Kinzer, 62, formerly of La Grande, died May 2 after he fell down a steep embankment on mountain property his family had purchased near Liberty, Wash.

Services will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday at Central Washington University in the concert hall of the music building.

He was born Sept. 10, 1947, to Thomas George and Lorene Robertson Kinzer in La Grande. He attended school in La Grande and graduated from La Grande High School with the Cass of 1966.

Sam graduated from the University of Oregon with a bachelor of arts degree. He then obtained a master's degree in public administration and political science from the University of Wisconsin.

Sam earned his law degree from Georgetown University in 1977.

He practiced law in Seattle for a year before returning to Washington, D.C., where he worked as staff counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and as chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).

In 1983 Sam moved to Seattle and joined the law firm of Preston Gates and Ellis. He later opened his own law practice in Everett. Sam moved to Ellensburg in 2005 and opened an additional office.

He is survived by his wife, Deborah; daughters, Alexis and Sonja; brother, Thomas "Buffalo" Kinzer; nieces and a nephew; and great-nieces and great-nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Sanford Kinzer Higher Education Fund at Wells Fargo Bank.

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