Samuel Joseph Vigneri

We are heartbroken to share the unexpected passing of Dr. Samuel Joseph Vigneri. He died September 8, 2024 in Casper, WY. He was 56. Sam was born March 2, 1968 in Redondo Beach, CA, to Joseph and Betsy Vigneri. He lived most of his life in Casper, where he graduated from Natrona County High School in 1986. He graduated from Montana State University in 1991, shortly before meeting Stacia Nagel at a Christmas party in Casper. Sam and Stacia married in 1994, just a month before he started medical school at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Of all the specialties he could have chosen, he chose OBGYN because of the joy he felt witnessing the birth of a child. He was awarded for his exceptional laparoscopic surgical skills and leadership of his residency program at St. Francis Hospital/UCONN in Hartford, CT.

Sam and Stacia returned home to Casper in 2002, where Sam joined Women’s Health Associates. Over his 22-year career, he helped bring thousands of babies into the world and saved the lives of many patients. He was absolutely devoted to his patients and never wanted to let them down. He never considered himself off duty. No wonder his favorite saying was “Nose to the grindstone!”.

There was so much more to Sam than his work. He was a beekeeper, although it never became the side hustle he envisioned, because he gave away most of the honey. Each spring he planted a garden, just so Stacia could decorate the porch with pumpkins and cornstalks in the fall. He tended his apple orchard of two trees and made dozens of apple pies from the harvest. He loved keeping track of all the birds in his yard and made sure the hummingbird feeder was always full.

His love for the outdoors extended well beyond his backyard. He obtained his pilot’s license during college, fully intending to become an Alaskan bush pilot. But his true passion in life was fly fishing, especially in salt water, which took him all over the world in search of a new story to top the last.

His family will never be able to leave the house without hearing him say, “Do you have a lightweight jacket?” To us, it is a reminder that he always wanted us to be protected and prepared for every contingency. He was a caretaker with the most beautiful heart, and we will never be the same without him.

Sam is survived by his wife, Stacia; their children, Lucia, Benjamin, and Robert; his parents; and his three brothers, Bob, Joe, and Mark, and their families.

A service will be held on Monday, September 16, at 11:00 at St. Patrick’s Church in Casper. A reception will follow at The M in downtown Casper.

To share a memory of Samuel or leave a special message for the family, please visit the guestbook below.