Samuel Bryant Thurston

Samuel Bryant Thurston, age 25, passed away on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
Samuel was born in China July 21, 2001. After an incredible journey across the country, from XinJiang Province in the far west of China to the School for the Blind in Beijing, and then to the other side of the world, he joined the Thurston family on June 29, 2015, at the age of 14.

Samuel overcame many challenges in his life—blindness, immigrating to a foreign country, learning English and English braille as a teen, and joining a new family, to name a few. God gave him an incredible mind, an ability to retain what he learned, and a voracious appetite for knowledge. All along the way, he had incredible teachers and support staff who encouraged him in his academic pursuits.

He was voted by his Grassfield High School (Chesapeake, VA) senior class and teachers to receive the first annual scholarship awarded to a student who had overcome many challenges to graduate. He went on to participate in a College Prep Life Skills program, where he learned, among other things, to cook multi-course meals and ride Amtrak independently. He then went on to university to pursue his interests in International Studies, with a focus on Chinese language and culture.

We have been blessed by his life and deeply grieve his loss.

He leaves behind his mother, Laurel Ashlin Thurston; brothers, Mathieu and William; his grandparents, Gene and Jean Thurston; his Uncle Hance and Aunt Kenda Thurston; and cousins Kacie, Audrey, Maddie, and Gavin.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, October 30, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Virginia Memorial Park in Forest, VA, for family and friends.