In a quiet Niceville neighborhood, Samm Hamm proves that being a good neighbor is really just about being a good person—day in and day out.
Anna Pugh, his neighbor, nominated him for the Niceville Good Neighbor of the Month award.
“Honored, I think a good one-word description,” Hamm told us when we asked how he felt about the award.
Samm quickly turned the spotlight away from himself and toward Anna and her husband, Tim. He began talking about what they have done for him, especially during a recent health challenge.
“Just seeing her husband, Tim, has been fantastic neighbors to me, and they have done many things for me, and a lot more than what I’ve done for them. I had surgery a few weeks ago, and Tim took me to my surgery, stayed all day with me, and brought me home from Destin back down here to High School, and he wouldn’t even let me pay for the tolls or for his time or anything…”
That story captures who Samm is: grateful, community-minded, and quick to recognize others’ kindness. Even as he recovers from surgeries—including a recent pacemaker procedure—he remains focused on the relationships that make his neighborhood feel like family.
Part of what makes Samm stand out as a neighbor is his green thumb. While his nomination mentioned an abundance of harvest treats, Samm explained that his real joy is in growing flowers.
“Oh, I mostly grow flowers, blooming flowers… but I’ve got fig tree and a few little things like that, but nothing, nothing really, really big. But I have been blessed or fortunate enough to be able to take a clipping off of a tree and stick it in the ground, and I’ll have a new tree in a few months,” Samm said.
Before retiring, Samm spent his career caring for others as a physician assistant, working with a group of orthopedic surgeons in Alabama – after serving as a medic in the Army.
“I just love patients,” Samm reminisced.
Now approaching his 80th birthday in November, Samm doesn’t dwell on specific stories from decades past, but his focus on people—and especially patients—still comes through clearly.
When asked what advice he’d give about being a good neighbor, Samm’s answer was simple but powerful:
“I think probably being a good neighbor is mostly being a good person all the time. It’s not trying to put out the effort to impress somebody… it’s just trying to be a good person all the time.”
That philosophy is exactly why he was chosen as this month’s Niceville Good Neighbor. It’s not about big gestures or public recognition; it’s about everyday decency, quiet reliability, and genuine care for the people next door.
As part of the award, Kristi from the Ryan Cabaniss State Farm office will be coordinating a special visit to deliver a basket of goodies to Mr. Hamm in recognition of his kindness and example.
If you have someone you’d like to nominate for next month’s Ryan Cabaniss State Farm Niceville Good Neighbor Award – Click the button below to fill out the form. It takes less than a minute to show your gratitude for a great neighbor!.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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