Sam E. Haddon, 88, lawyer and federal judge

Sam E. Haddon, 88, died peacefully in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025.

Sam was born June 19, 1937, in West Monroe, La., the second son, and the second child, of James and Letha (neé Daughtry) Haddon. He spent his early years in West Monroe until the death of his grandfather, which necessitated a family move to Blanket, Texas, to take over the family farm.

Sam graduated from Blanket High School in 1955 and moved to Houston on a football scholarship at Rice University, starting a lifelong love affair with all things football. He graduated from Rice in 1959 with a degree in physical education. During this time, he met a young nursing student from the University of Alabama. Sam knew Betty Lloyd was the one when, during a visit to the family home during their courtship, he saw her enjoying a cup of coffee and chatting with his mother. They were married on Dec. 22, 1959.