On Monday, November 5, 2012, Samuel Barth, 17, was taken from this world suddenly. Sam was one of my best friends in and away from the game of Magic. I met Sam two years ago, and we instantly became great friends.
I still remember when I first met Sam. I had stepped away from Magic for a few years and came into my local store, Rockets Hideout, to fill in some free time by participating in a draft. I played Sam in the finals of that draft, and after the match we talked about Magic for hours. Over the next few years, Sam and I became great friends. Sam, expressing a real desire to get better at Magic, asked me if I would help him. We often stayed up late drafting online time and time again. It was a great joy of mine to watch Sam grow from an FNM player into someone who recently won a PTQ and made Top 4 of a StarCityGames.com Open. I still remember the night I got a phone call from Sam telling me he’d won the PTQ that day. It’s still one of the proudest moments of my Magic career.
On Monday we not only lost a talented Magician, we all lost a dear friend. Sam was one of the nicest and happiest people I’ve ever met. He always had a smile on his face, and his infectious laughter could always be heard at any event he was at. Sam was a fierce competitor and an even fiercer friend. My life was better for having him in it and now there’s a hole I’ll never be able to fill.
I will always cherish the memories I have of you Sam. I will miss the long road trips we took together. You making fun of me. Watching you grow as a player and, more importantly, a person. We all love you and miss you.
 “What I remember is that right after getting qualified for a Pro Tour, he didn’t care about bragging or claiming he was the best. He just wanted to help me get qualified and was willing to go out of his way to do it. That’s who Sam really was behind all of the ‘bow dropping and harsh jokes, past his persona as the luckiest Magic player alive. He was someone who cared about his friends” — Mark Maher
“Sam was a friend and a rival who will be sorely missed in this world. Nearly every mannerism I have reminds me of the twerp, and my life has been touched by his spark. One of the best, brightest, and luckiest people I’ve learned to love in this world was extinguished on November 5. RIP Sam Barth: Friend, Rival, The Stone-cold Nuts.” — Coleman Perret
“Sam brought a joy to the table that all of us need. He always seemed happy to be playing and grateful for the friends he made through the game. He’ll be missed.” — Eric Lewandowski
“There is not enough ink in the world to say everything he has put in our lives” — Chase Usey