Obituary: Sam Weller of Sam Weller's Zion Books

Legendary Salt Lake City bookseller Sam Weller died on Wednesday, June 24, 2009. He was 88.

Sam Weller was born on April 23, 1921, in Schneidemuhl, Germany. His family immigrated to Salt Lake City in 1925, where his father, Gus, opened a secondhand furniture store. In 1929, spurred by the purchase of a collection of old Mormon books, Gus Weller transformed the secondhand furniture store on First South in Salt Lake City to Zion's Bookstore.

Sam Weller served in the U.S. Army during World War II in Europe and North Africa. After the war, the 24-year-old Weller, who wished to study music and musical theater, was pressed by his father into taking over the struggling family bookstore, which he was able to put on solid footing through hard work and high energy.

In 1953, Sam Weller married Lila Nelson. In 1961, Sam and Lila, who managed the store's finances, inventory, and bookkeeping, moved the Zion Bookstore to its present location at 254 South Main Street, where it has grown to 37,000 square feet. Shortly after the move, the store's name was changed to Sam Weller's Zion Book Store.

Sam and Lila were instrumental in helping found the Intermountain Booksellers Association. He also served on the Board of the American Booksellers Association, and was a proud participant in the ABA's presentation of books to the White House Library over the course of several administrations (photos of the presentations are on display at the bookstore). In the 1980s, Sam became a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America. His reputation as a rare book dealer was built primarily on his expertise in the fields of Western Americana, Mormonism, Indians, Geology, and Writers of the West.

When Sam's eyesight failed in 1997, his son, Tony, who had worked in the bookstore for most of his life, took over ownership and operations. Today, Sam Weller's Books, which will celebrate its 80th anniversary in August, is headed by Tony and his wife, Catherine Weller.

Sam Weller is also survived by his wife, Lila, granddaughter Lila Ann, and a large extended family of siblings, nieces, and nephews.

Sam Weller's influence on the book community is reflected in tributes from his fellow booksellers. Betsy Burton, co-owner of The King's English and an ABA Board member, who worked for Sam Weller for the better part of a year while she was in college, told BTW: "Sam read widely and with passion and could pluck the perfect book for almost anyone off his shelves. He was the consummate bookseller, and he taught me (and everyone else who sells books in this city) everything important they know about the book business and the fine art of bookselling. Besides, his obvious passion made the whole thing look fun -- which it emphatically is, despite everything. He was an icon in this business both in Salt Lake and across the nation. Thank you Sam. We already miss you."

Linda Brummett, manager of the General Book Department at BYU Bookstore, said, "Sam was a powerful influence on my life as a bookseller starting in 1977, when I began this job as manager of the General Book Department of BYU Bookstore. He was kind enough to visit our store when I was 6 months into the job, and his approval meant so much to me! I had been a customer of his store during my student years, but he immediately treated me as a peer, another bookseller! He was the pre-eminent bookseller in the state. Legendary. Energetic (meaning "driven"). Opinionated. Visionary. He set the standard for independent booksellers in our state for superb customer service, book knowledge, and independence."

Memorial services are pending.