Sam Ellis, a Dearborn resident well known as a fiery high school principal and wrestling coach in various area school districts, died of a heart attack Wednesday morning on the way to Garden City Hospital. He was 57.

Family members said Ellis’ limitless, high-energy spirit made memories that will last generations. The large, salt-and-pepper-haired man would shout at everyone in a booming, gruff voice, whether he was praising, reprimanding, teasing or expressing love for them.

A son of Syrian immigrants, Ellis’ intense work ethic and selflessness were established early.

Family members said Ellis’ mother Nadima, who died in 1989, loved to tell people how her son Sam, at 13 years old in 1964, bought her a refrigerator with money he made working a paper route.

“He was saving up for something for himself,” said Ellis’ brother Tom Ellis. “But he took it and bought us a refrigerator because we needed a refrigerator. We were a poor family.”

Ellis took pride in his working-class, ethnic background, often telling his children, nieces and nephews that his first job was cleaning toilets, that there’s no shame in labor and that they should wear their Syrian heritage on their sleeves.

Ellis became known in Dearborn and surrounding cities for bringing neighborhoods together through athletics, running several community pools and baseball teams for decades.

He was a national-level umpire-in-chief for baseball leagues affiliated with the United States Sports Specialty Association.

In 2003, Ellis was inducted into  the Dearborn Recreation Department’s Special Award Hall of Fame.

Having coached high school wrestling teams in Redford, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and Inkster to countless state rankings, district, regional, and invitational championships, Ellis was also inducted to the Michigan High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2005.

The city of Inkster also honored him with “Sam Ellis Day” on February 14, 1980.

With degrees in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University, Ellis served as principal of Oakwood Middle School in Eastpointe, and, most recently, Harry Truman High School in Taylor.

Ellis was also known in his family for frequently taking his kids, his brother’s kids, his sister’s kids, his cousins kids – often an army of children – to the movies, to the pool, to the park…

“On Tuesday, the day before he died, he called his sister-in-law and said ‘Get the kids ready, we’re going to the zoo on Thursday.’ He got nothing but joy from doing for others,” said Tom Ellis.

In addition to his brother Tom, survivors include wife Jennifer, daughter Meagan, 24, son Joseph, 21, sister Lena and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation is from 3-4 p.m. for family and 4-9 p.m. for the public Saturday; and 1-9 p.m. on Sunday, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Santeiu Funeral Home, 1139 Inkster Road, Garden City.

A funeral mass will be at 11 a.m. Monday at St. George Church, 2160 East Maple Road, Troy.