Sam C. Barbera III, the former host of Louisiana Sportsman TV, passed away on Jan. 6, 2021.
Before joining Louisiana Sportsman, Barbera served as STAR tournament director for the Coastal Conservation Association.
A passionate ambassador for the outdoors, he began working for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in 2013 and took over as the executive director of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation in 2018.
Barbera is a U.S. Army veteran. His last assignment was commander of the 239th Military Police Company in Baton Rouge, the first Louisiana Army National Guard unit called to active duty after the attacks of 9/11.
The Thibodaux native was an avid Lake Pontchartrain angler, often pulling overweight speckled trout from the bridge stanchions along the Causeway. He will be missed dearly.