Kazys “Sam” Lisauskas, a much-loved member of the Horsell community, has died aged 104. Born on March 4, 1921 in Lithuania, Sam survived a tough childhood on a farm before serving in various armies and enduring wartime internment in Finland.

After the war, he met Meta “Liz,” and the couple moved to the UK as refugees. They found work on farms in Addlestone and Loseley, and transported fruit and vegetables to London. Their sons, George and Peter, were born before the NHS even existed in 1948 and 1950 respectively. In 1953, the family settled in Horsell, where Sam and Liz would remain for the rest of their lives.

Life was never easy, and for many years the couple used crates as furniture and only got a television in the 1970s. Sam later managed a specialist paint shop, and even in his seventies he started a role as a specialist cleaner at ToysRUS, working there until an impressive 94 years of age. Liz, a machinist, worked long into her eighties alongside Sam. Their work ethic and determination became legendary locally.

Even in his later years, Sam remained fiercely independent. He learned to cook at 101, shopped using his own scanner and bank card, and could be seen zipping around Horsell on his Motability scooter. He escaped Lithuania during WWII, narrowly evading gunfire, and was later sent to a camp in Norway, where he trudged through snow and ice completely barefoot, having lost his shoes in the freezing conditions. Despite hardship, he faced life with humour, often greeting calls with “Perfect fit for work” or, when annoyed, “What a bloody carry on.”

Liz passed away aged 97, and Sam cared for her devotedly. He will be remembered by his sons George and Peter, grandson Julian, great-grandson Frankie, and the wider Horsell community. For those wishing to pay their respects, the service will take place on Monday, November 17 at Guildford Crematorium, followed by a gathering at the Red Lion in Horsell.