Samuel Laurie Deane was born on June 15, 1874, in Barbados. He worked for textile mills for the entirety of his career, serving as superintendent of the Bibb Manufacturing Company (Porterdale, Georgia), the Ranlo Manufacturing Company (Gaston County, N.C.), and the S. A. Cotton Mills (Southton, Texas). He died in San Antonio, Texas, on September 21, 1968.