Passings :: Sam Weller

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

Sam Weller, the venerable Salt Lake City bookseller known for his energetic personality and an uncanny ability to match a customer to the perfect book, died Tuesday. He was 88.

His death, attributed to causes of age, marks the passing of a literary era for Utah readers as well as for the nation’s dwindling community of independent booksellers.

“It’s a big ending,” said Linda Brummett, manager of the general book department at the Brigham Young University Bookstore . “Sam really became a mentor to me and many other booksellers. In one way or another, we can all trace our heritage as booksellers back to Sam.”