Confesor Samot

Confesor Samot, who moved to East Hampton from Isabella, Puerto Rico, in 1971 with his wife and six children, died at home here on Nov. 3. He was 83 and had had Alzheimer’s disease.

Mr. Samot, whose mother and siblings all immigrated to New York City from northwestern Puerto Rico at the same time, worked in a Sag Harbor factory at first, and then as the yard foreman at Warren’s Garden Center in Water Mill. He retired from that job after many years. 

He loved to watch the New York Mets and to play the game himself, said his son Nelson, who called his father “an accomplished softball player” who was also good at dominoes. Mr. Samot “had a real thing” about car shows and new cars, said his son. “Once the kids had all left home, he would buy a new car, usually a Chevy Impala, every two or three years.”

On Sundays, he was the family cook. He would spend hours preparing a thick stew called sancocho, which calls for meat, vegetables, various tubers, potatoes, corn, garlic, cilantro, squash, parsley, corn, and tomatoes. The stew, which has different Caribbean versions, comes originally from a Spanish soup called cocida.

Born on Oct. 2, 1933, to Juan Samot and the former Ambrocina Rivera, Mr. Samot was one of seven children. Two sisters, Encarnacion Torres and Cruz Maria Dragon, died before him. In addition to his wife, the former Elba Santiago, he is survived by his siblings Celena Samot, Luis Samot, and Lucilla Soto, all of Manhattan, and Ralph Samot of Florida.

Mr. Samot’s son Hector died of cancer in 2003. His surviving children are Raymond Samot, Nelson Samot, David Samot, Elizabeth Fuchs, and Patricia Samot-Yardley, all of whom live in East Hampton. He leaves nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at the Yardley and Pino Funeral Home in East Hampton on Nov. 6, with burial following at Cedar Lawn Cemetery here. Memorial donations to East End Hospice, at P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach 11978-7048, have been suggested.