Friends, Family Celebrate Life and Work of Beijing Expat Samuel Cornthwaite at Memorial

Dozens of broken-hearted Beijingers gathered yesterday (Sep 18) for a celebration of the life of a beloved Beijing-based activist that left us far too soon.

Hannah Cornthwaite, sister of recently deceased goodwill worker Samuel Cornthwaite, delivered an impassioned eulogy Sunday morning for her brother at the Congregation of the Good Shepherd, where she also serves as pastor.

"Just after he passed, a friend of his told me that Sam was just too big for his body ... and she was right: his spirit needed to break free to continue the work of God," Hannah said during the service. "Sam helped us see the overlooked, and be present with those who were hurting."

Samuel's sudden death on September 6, due to a case of acute pancreatitis, sent shockwaves through the local expat community, where he had made an outsized impact as the founder of GoodWorks Coffee & Tea. As the heart and soul of GoodWorks, Sam's mission was to train and employ marginalized Chinese orphans and those struggling with disabilities who had aged out of the state's goodwill system by training them to be baristas. Thanks to Sam's impassioned work, GoodWorks also quickly grew in stature amongst Beijing's F&B community as a provider of quality coffee with creative flavors.

One of Samuel's frequent F&B collaborators, Pop-Up Beijing creative director Glenn Schuitman, gave a moving speech at Slow Boat Brewery's Sanlitun location yesterday afternoon, where friends and family gathered after the church service to celebrate Samuel's life.

"The Friday before Sam died, he came by Pop-Up and had some coffee with us. I'm not sure now how sick he felt that day, but he appeared to be the same old happy Sam we all knew and loved," Schuitman recalled. "Now I have a bag of his GoodWorks coffee at home, sitting on my counter, and I can't bring myself to open it, because every time I see it I think of the love and passion he put into each bag, the community that he touched ... It's all represented in this bag."

After his speech Schuitman walked over to Samuel's parents, Debbie and Otto Cornthwaite, handed them the bag and gave them a hug.

Samuel's mother Debbie, who along with her husband had flown in from the US a few days earlier, recalled not only Sam's goodwill work, but also his less serious side. "When Sam was in high school, he tried out for the wrestling team, and instead of being aggressive with his opponent, he'd just be out there on the mat laughing the whole time," she recalled. "His coach could only shake his head. You knew he'd never be a wrestling champion," she said with a smile as the crowd laughed, before Otto shouted with a chuckle from his seat: "He wasn't a good wrestler because he didn't want to hurt anyone!"

Debbie thanked all of Sam's friends who had gathered, saying she initially dreaded the trip to Beijing, but now couldn't be more grateful they stayed for longer than originally planned.

"I never wanted to come and get out of a place so quickly. At first I just wanted to come get my boy and leave," she said, stifling back a few tears. "But now that I've met all of you, and can feel Sam's presence in this community ... I can feel that he wanted me to meet this community of people. He loved you all with all of his heart."

Other attendees described Samuel's love of artisan coffee and his penchant for craft beer. Spencer Musick, a friend from church, told those gathered: "Sam and I would be out at a bar and often, before the night was over, he'd convince me to break into a song like 'Shine, Jesus, Shine.' And even though everyone else at the bar was looking at us like we were crazy, the lyrics perfectly describe Sam, how he filled 'this land with the Father's glory.' He was the real deal, he gave me something to strive for."

Musick wasn't the only one that Samuel inspired to keep striving. Hannah told the crowd that her intention is to keep GoodWorks going. "I'm much more introverted than my brother, so it might take me a little longer to reply than it would have with him, but I'm excited to work together with you and keep it going," she said.

Otto Cornthwaite, Samuel's father, told the Beijinger that he was deeply moved to hear about the impact that his son had made in Beijing. "It's overwhelming to have realized the number of people he connected with, even in a city this big," he said. "He found a niche not only in one small location, but a big variety of locations, people from different walks of life. Hearing about that just blows my wife and I away."

More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photos: Kyle Mullin