Cecilia Mary Sampson

She worked at Gillette’s razor blade factory in London, England, during WWII, helping manufacture war planes. Also, she served as an air raid warden for her community, Cranford, during the London Blitz. She marshaled people into air raid shelters during the blitz bombings on London by Nazi Germany’s aircraft.

Cecilia met U.S. Army- Air Corp medic, John William Sampson, while he was stationed in London, during WWII. They married on 9 Sept., 1944, in Cranford, England. Their wedding procession was in an Army Jeep.

In 1945, after WWII ended, John was transferred back to the States. Later, Cecilia sailed from England to New York City, with other war brides on a U.S. troop ship carrying wounded soldiers. She often recalled the wonder of sailing past the Statue of Liberty and the ship being met by boats with water cannons. After living in war-torn England with all the shortages and rationing, she was surprised by all the colors she saw in NYC. She was also amazed to see someone eating a banana for the first time since the war started.

The Red Cross arranged train transportation for Cecilia from NYC to John’s home in McKenzie, Tennessee. She traveled alone and upon arrival, she met John’s parents and 4 sisters for the first time.

Cecilia accompanied John on multiple assignments during the remaining 26 years of his 30 year military career.

1946-1950: Muroc Field, CA (now Edwards AFB). Daughter, Phyllis Ann Sampson was born March 20, 1948. Cecilia often recalled serving Capt. Chuck Yeager and his wife, Ennis, at the base exchange where she worked. During their tour there, test pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier for the first time.

1950-53: London, England. Son, Donald William Sampson was born March 23, 1951.

1953-1956: Williams AFB, AZ.

1956-1958: USAREUR, Fontainebleau, France

1958-1961: Edwards AFB, CA

1961-1965: Royal Air Force (RAF) Sculthorpe, and RAF Lakenheath, England

1965-1968: Wiesbaden AFB, Wiesbaden, Germany

1968-1970: Little Rock AFB, Jacksonville, AR. John retired as a Senior Master Sergeant after 30 years in 1970 and they made their home in North Little Rock, AR. They were long-time members of the Assembly of God Church; first at Jacksonville, AR., then North Little Rock, and finally West Little Rock.

Cecilia worked for the Arkansas State Employees system in the nursing home division as an office clerk for several years. They both retired about 1991. Cecilia learned how to paint from watching a television instruction series and took up oil painting as a hobby. Her best painting was of a meadow and snow-covered mountain, which the family all loved. The large painting had pride of place over her fireplace wherever she lived.

John died of a heart attack suddenly in January 1993. After a few months, Cecilia went back to work at her previous position in the nursing home division. She was 70 at the time and she worked there until health problems forced her to retire at age 80. At the time, she was the oldest Arkansas state employee.

Cecilia and Phyllis moved to North Las Vegas, NV from 2004 to 2010 to be near her son Donald’s family. They returned to Little Rock to be near Phyllis’s son, David and his family. Other than short-term memory loss over the last few years, Cecilia was in relatively good health until a sudden illness following her 98th birthday May 30th.

Cecilia was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, John W. Sampson.

Cecilia is survived by her two children, Phyllis Ann Benjamin of Little Rock, and Donald W. Sampson of Las Vegas, NV; her daughter-in-law, Venita Sampson, also of Las Vegas; her three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; David Tilley and his two daughters, Audrina and Charlotte Tilley of Benton, AR; and Sarah Tilley, her husband Thomas Hilal and their two children, Harper Hilal and Hudson Hilal, all of Los Angeles, CA; and Jeffrey Sampson of San Diego, CA.

Funeral Service will be 10 a.m. Monday, June 28, 2021 in the chapel of Griffin Leggett Healey & Roth, 5800 W. 12th Street, Little Rock, (501) 661-9111. Interment will follow at Little Rock National Cemetery. To sign the online guestbook, click “Add A Memory” at: www.griffinleggetthealeyroth.com