John Sams, BSN, RN, ER & ICU Nurse
Los Banos, CA (February 16, 2026) –There are many registered nurses at Memorial Hospital Los Banos, but colleagues say John Sams was “in a league of his own.” The City of Los Banos and the Westside communities of the Central Valley are mourning the loss of John Sams, BSN, RN, an Emergency Room and Intensive Care nurse who dedicated decades of his life to serving patients and their families.
According to colleagues, John worked for Memorial Hospital Los Banos for over 28 years in the Emergency Department. He served as a staff nurse, charge nurse, and Interim Emergency Director when the department’s director had to take leave due to a family emergency. Co-workers described him as someone who “met each challenge professionally” and called his leadership “a job well done.”
A commemorative plaque honoring John reads:
“The city of Los Banos and the communities of Westside Area of the Great Central Valley of California would like to thank you for your healing hands that have touched so many lives of this area. You have treated, comforted and prayed with so many patients and their family members over the years. Your skill in Emergency and Intensive Care Nursing has served your patients well. You have always kept the comfort of your patients the priority in their care along with their family members… You truly are a Hometown Hero.”
Colleagues consistently remembered John as a man of faith and compassion. Sharon Ann Myers, BSN, RN, who worked with him for 17 years, wrote that he entered the Emergency Department every morning with a “Good Morning” and “an infectious smile.” She noted that he was “always early to work” and “just made you feel good.”
Myers shared that it was common for patients and family members to ask if John was working, recalling how he would sit with them and pray. One frequently repeated story was:
“You know he asked if he could pray for my Mama… He sat right down and would pray for Mama. He would say, you know praying is the easiest thing to do in nursing. We just don’t do enough!!! He made Mama comfortable and asked if he needed to get us anything?”
Another colleague described him as “a true professional” who was “always in good humor and was kind to everyone.” He was remembered for riding his bike or walking to work when weather permitted and for walking the hospital campus during lunch breaks. “When he sat down to eat he always prayed, he was a Man of God,” the tribute states.
Eldon Ballesteros wrote that John was “the epitomy of calm and collect” in life-saving situations and said, “It is my lifelong honor to work alongside John Sams for 21 years.” He credited John’s “Christian faith based bedside care” with bringing “holistic healing in both physical and spiritual aspects.”
Phillip Silverstein described John as “a phenomenal co-worker, father, friend and a man of GOD,” adding, “There are many RN’s at Memorial Hospital Los Banos but John was in a league of his own.”
Monica Archutowski shared that her sons remembered John from childhood visits to the hospital, saying he was “always there to assist in their care.”
John retired in the third quarter of 2025. During his career, he also worked as a home health nurse locally beginning in 1994 and previously worked for Kaiser Permanente in San Jose. He was hired into the Emergency Department at Memorial Hospital Los Banos in 1998.
In recognition of his service, colleagues presented him with a “Life Time Achievement Plaque” celebrating 32 years in health care. The Mayor of Los Banos presented him with a Proclamation of Appreciation for 28 years of service to the city and Westside area. The Los Banos Arts Council’s Quilter’s Guild also presented him with a “Hometown Heroes Quilt.”
For the past two years, John battled cancer. He passed away on February 7, 2026. Sharon Ann Myers reflected on that day:
“The weather was perfect, Bright, Sunny and warm, 70 degrees in fact. Four and a half weeks we had been socked in with depressing heavy fog. Not the day God called John home. I want to think GOD made the day so perfect to welcome John to his eternal home.”
According to correspondence provided, John did not wish to have a memorial service or funeral.
Colleagues say there is now “a hollowness in the Emergency Room” and “a hollowness in the Emergency Department with him gone.”
John Sams is remembered as a nurse who greeted co-workers with a smile, prayed with patients, led professionally, and served his community for decades. As written on his plaque: “You truly are a Hometown Hero.”
