Samuel Ross Sommers, beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, professor, and mentor, died unexpectedly on March 16, 2025, at the age of 49.  He passed away after complications of neurosurgery for a ruptured blood vessel in his brain.  He will be missed terribly.  Sam is survived by his wife Marilyn; his daughters Abby and Sophie; his parents Lynn and Jeff; his brothers Ben and Zach and their wives Melissa and Jillian; his brother-in-law Charles; his nephews and nieces Joshua, Jonah, Alex, Ari, and Maya; the 2023 college football national champion Michigan Wolverines; and countless friends, colleagues, and students.

Born in New York City, Sam was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio.  He attended Williams College as an undergraduate, where he met his wife Marilyn, and completed his PhD in social psychology at the University of Michigan. He later moved to Lexington, Massachusetts, and worked as a professor of psychology at Tufts University for 22 years, during which time he received numerous awards for his distinguished teaching, scholarship, and mentorship. He was author of multiple books and served as an expert witness in legal cases involving racial bias.  Beyond his highly accomplished professional career, Sam was a devoted husband and the ultimate girl dad who cherished his time with his wife and daughters.  He was a softball coach, duet partner, regular audience member at a cappella shows and musical theater, and fierce proponent of trying "one of everything."  Sam was one of the funniest people anyone could meet, quick with a joke, but equally generous with his love for family and friends, and deeply committed to equality and social justice.  He loved his family, the New York Yankees, University of Michigan sports, Seinfeld, movies, children, trivia, nachos, and donuts. The world shines less brightly without him.

A private service will be held for immediate family and close friends.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Innocence Project or the American Civil Liberties Union.