Samuel Michael Alberts

We are saddened to announce the death of Samuel Michael Alberts, aged 76, who died August 8th in hospice at Riddle Memorial Hospital. He is survived by his son Scott (Shira) Alberts, sister Risa (Mark Schoenberg) Alberts, and nieces Liza and Julia. He is predeceased by his parents, Leonard Alberts and Evelyn Rosen Alberts, and his sister Cindy Alberts.
As a child in the Overbrook Park section of Philadelphia, Michael was known to his grandparents as “Michaeleh.” He was a championship football player at his beloved alma mater, Central High School and completed his football and academic career at Hiram College. As an adult, he never missed an Eagles game and enjoyed yelling at the screen for the Phillies and 76ers, too. He eventually found an outlet for his Philly sports fan frustrations with his “I Suffer No More” blog.
He studied History in college and remained an avid reader in the field for the rest of his life. His most notable areas of interest as a reader and collector were in military history, inspired by his father’s service in the Second World War, and baseball history. His business travels frequently provided him with opportunities to visit Civil War battlefields, and he particularly enjoyed visiting Gettysburg with his son.
His Jewish cultural identity was important to him, and he loved no food so much as he loved Jewish-American deli classics - and corned beef specials most of all. He loved to read about Jewish mobsters and sports heroes and had strong opinions about the correct way to pronounce Hebrew.
Michael was witty and quick, which served him well in his career as a salesman or “rag man” in the
clothing business. He famously drove a Cadillac “because it was the best” and wore the best suits from Hickey Freeman. He was a stylish guy and a charmer. As that industry changed, he transitioned into a career as a stock broker, working for Shearson Lehman Brothers, Smith Barney, and other firms prior to his retirement.
Michael was knowledgeable on history, politics, sports, film, and his favorite topic, music. His favorite movie was The Godfather Saga and his favorite song was “My Girl,” by The Temptations. However, his music collection included hundreds of albums by other artists and reflected his deep love of soul, R&B, funk, and doo-wop music generally. As an adult, Michael learned how to line dance, and surprised everyone by becoming a popular line dance instructor at the Cobbs Creek Recreation Center and other venues in West Philadelphia.
In later years, Michael used his “smile and dial” skills to reach out to voters in support of local Democratic candidates. In one election cycle, those phone calls resulted in his having had more voter contacts than anyone else in Delaware County, including volunteers and paid callers. Michael had strong opinions about politics, and just about everything else, including the love he felt for his son.

Funeral service will be at Har Jehuda Cemetery in Upper Darby, PA at 2pm on Sunday, August 13, 2023.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Congregation Beth Israel, Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund with a payment note of “Har Jehuda Cleanup Fund in memory of Michael Alberts” at
https://www.bethisraelmedia.org/payment.php

www.levinefuneral.com