Sam as a kindergartener at Demasus Elementary, age 6. Damascus, Maryland, 1964. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam wears glasses in a 2nd grade class picture at Demascus Elementary. Damascus, Maryland, 1966. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam in glasses and short hair for a 3rd grade class picture at Demascus Elementary. Damascus, Maryland, 1967. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Demascus (far right) with his Dad (left), and maternal grandparents at Bethany Beach, Delaware, 1968. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Greyscale photo of 10 year old Sam at Bethany Beach, Delaware, 1968. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam, age 12, wears yellow for a 6th grade class picture at Demascus Elementary. Damascus, Maryland, 1970. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam, age 14, wears purple patterns and glasses for his 8th grade class picture at Demascus Elementary. Damascus, Maryland, 1972. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam’s senior-highschool picture, age 17 at Demascus High School. Damascus, Maryland, 1976. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam as a 20-year old junior at Western Virginia University-Morgantown, after announcing his then lesbian identity. Morgantown, West Virginia, 1978. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear with short cropped hair relaxing on the West Virginia campus, at the start of his back then Lesbian Years. Morgantown, West Virginia, 1979. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear in formal wear at 21 years old at an MCC Church during lesbian college friends’ commitment ceremony, post college. Morgantown, West Virginia, 1980. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leisear at 23 years old in his Valley Day Care Circus Clown outfit. Morgantown, West Virginia, 1982. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear at 24 years old smiles while looking over his shoulder at a pre-bar party. Morgantown, West Virginia, 1982. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear and his ‘last perm ever’ in Smithfield, Pennsylvania, 1984. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear during a time in which his then lesbian partner requested that he tone down his butchness. Morgantown, West Virginia, 1985. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear on his last day working at Valley Community Mental Health, a day when he wore a dress as a joke (for the first time in 8 years). He never wore a dress again. Fairmont, West Virginia, 1989. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Dramatic vignette headshot of Sam Leizear at 30 years old, ‘single again.’ Morgantown, West Virginia, 1988. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Greyscale ‘old tyme photo booth’ picture of Sam Leizear in a boxy vintage suite and hat at age 37. Jacksons Mill, West Virginia, 1995. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear in a dapper tuxedo for his graduate school commencement ceremony. Morgantown, West Virginia, 1995. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizaear holds a small dog, Dizzy 1st of 6 blind rescue dogs. In Reedsville, West Virginia, 2002. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear in the beginning of starting his social transition. In Morgantown, West Virginia, May 2002. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear smiles at 44 years old, holding Faith a 2-legs special needs pup. In Morgantown, West Virginia, 2003. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear in a suit and tie at 46 years old, 1-day post his legal name change! In Morgantown, West Virginia, 2004. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear at 46 years old, presenting as male full-time. In Morgantown, West Virginia, 2005. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear smiles in a formal suit while receiving a Purple Ribbon Award from the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence honoring his work to provide/improve education and training re: transgender survivors of domestic violence. In Charleston, West Virginia, 2006. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear 6 months post top-surgery, smiles while dressed in matching Santa hats with Misty (a blind beagle) and Faith his dogs. In Morgantown, West Virginia, 2006. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear ‘challenges sunscreen’ while swimming in a pool 18 months post-top surgery. In Fenwick, Delaware, August 2007. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear pensively looks off camera, a time when he began experimenting with facial hair! In Morgantown, West Virginia, 2009. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear in glasses and a goatee, on a train ride to Cumberland Maryland at 54 years old. Cumberland, Maryland, Fall 2013. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear (right) with his uncle in formal suites at his father’s funeral service. In Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, April 2010. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear thoughtfully holds a small owl/wild bird as a volunteer educator with the Rapto Rehabilitation Program. In Weston, West Virginia, July 2012. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear smiles in a baseball cap while kayaking with friends. In Cumberland, Maryland, June 2013. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear affectionately hugs Fiona, one of his many special needs rescue dogs. In Morgantown, West Virginia, September 2014. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear presents in front of an audience at the West Virginia-Summer Institute on Aging “They Do Exist– Issues of Older Transgender Persons.” In Morgantown, West Virginia, May 2017. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear in a suit accepting West Virginia University’s LGBTQ+ Center Alumni Award on a stage. In Morgantown, West Virginia, May 2018. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear smiles pensively, dressed in a colorful rainbow tie at a lesbian wedding. In McHenry, Maryland, July 2021. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear. Sam Leizear at Bruceton Mills (Center) post spinal surgery. In Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, July 2025. Photo courtesy of Sam Leizear.