Samuel Albert Exline, 82
A celebration of the life of Samuel Albert Exline, 82, of Singapore, formerly of Gainesville, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, at the Gainesville Church of Christ. Sam died March 1, 2025, in Dallas.
He was born March 31, 1942, in Joplin, the son of Bill and Mattaline Exline. He was baptized and was a member of the Church of Christ. In a life of many firsts, he was the first Eagle Scout in Ozark County. He and his friend and fellow Scout Ron Evans named the streets of Gainesville as Sam's Scout project, with the late Dr. M.J. Hoerman as scoutmaster. Sam graduated from Gainesville High School in 1960.
After graduating from the University of Missouri and marrying Margaret Klien, he embarked on an extraordinary career of 60 years in retail, starting in Joplin as Firestone Tire & Rubber's youngest store manager. He then moved to the T.G. & Y dimestore chain and later joined White Automotive in Wichita Falls, Texas, where he transformed the corporate focus to automotive services. From there, he was promoted to lead Ben Franklin Stores; as the chief operating officer for the chain of 3,500 stores, he redirected the merchandising from "five & dime" into arts and crafts, starting the first phase of the arts and crafts industry. From there, he was recruited to become the executive vice president of Target stores. Next, he was recruited to be the chief operating officer of Payless Shoe Source and then Curtis Mathes Electronics in Dallas.
After Curtis Mathes, he joined his son, Christopher, in launching Home Essentials, which became the largest furniture rental company outside of the U.S. He opened the first store in Singapore, and over the next 25 years, he led the company's expansion, overseeing market entries into India, Oman, Dubai and other countries. He also oversaw acquisitions in Spain and Portugal and oversaw operations for Home Essentials across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
His son Chris said, "Without the guidance and experience of my dad, there would not be a Home Essentials, the only company that ever took the concept of furniture rental global, peaking with operations in 21 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South America. His legacy continues in everything we do every day."
Regardless of the heights of his achievements, he always recalled his roots in Ozark County. He remained proud of where and how he was raised, and he instilled those values in his children, teaching them the importance of acting with dignity and never speaking down to others.
His family mourns his loss but is grateful for the example of his life.
Sam is survived by his wife, Laura, of Singapore; his sons: Chris Exline of Hong Kong and Rob Exline of Dallas; a ward and cousin, Freya of Portland, Oregon, who lived with the family for years; sisters: Carol Morrison of Carl Junction and Martha Gregory and husband Jack of Gassville, Arkansas; and his brother George Pannell and wife Anita of Mountain Home, Arkansas.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Margaret, who died in 2003; and his brother-in-law, Gary Morrison.