Edward Ernest Sampson

Edward Ernest Sampson was born to James Ernest Sampson and Anne Sampson (Nee Sampson) on May 29th, 1922. Edward did not have long to experience motherly love, as Anne died within days of his third birthday in 1925. Life after that time became difficult, as it did for many in the years leading up to and through the Great Depression, and young Edward was expected to contribute to the life that was eked out by the Sampson Clan. He did his share, while also attending school and managed some outside activities with the Boy Scouts being the main such outlet. Remembering the lessons he learned and the character it instilled in him, this relationship would come to revisit him later in life.

As a young man Ed was influenced by many occurrences, but likely none more profoundly than the time that he lost a job due to his attempts to help someone, ultimately doing minor damage to a vehicle he was attempting to move. Rather than vowing to never help anyone again, he swore to himself that he would never drive again……and he never did. A man of his word throughout his life.

As Ed grew into young adulthood, his outlook on life was broadened considerably, and he met up with a shy, petite young lady from a large Italian family, and he was smitten. That deep love that developed for this young lady would grow and grow, lasting more than sixty years of loving devotion, despite many difficulties along the way.

In the first place, young Ed was born into an Anglican family, referred to as Church of England in those days. The woman of Ed's growing love was an Italian Roman Catholic, and Ed chose to convert to Catholicism, however, in the less than ecumenical times of the day, this decision was not met with the enthusiasm that one might have hoped. Regardless, this lack of support would not stand in the way of the family plans that he and Gaetana Canicchio (later to be known as Kate) were making. As World War II loomed around them, with Ed in the army, they made the best of the time that they could spend together, although perpetually chaperoned. Yet despite these barriers, their relationship not only survived but developed. A testament to their tenacity. Ed took Kate as his wife on June 3rd, 1944, honeymooning in the world-renowned honeymoon resort of Camp Petawawa.

Following the war, they settled down and began a family in earnest, with the birth of Ann followed by Lucy within a year and one half. After another few years, they had their third and last child, Peter. After the war, Ed had joined the Provincial Transport Company and had become a painter, working six and one half days a week, as was the custom of the time. This left him less time for family life than he might have wished. This was also the time when a second passion came into greater prominence, photography. During the war years, Ed had chronicled much of the times through photos of friends and Kate's family, and this interest blossomed into a full passion following the war. The fruit from both of these eras has left his family with a rich set of mementos of their origins and other loving memories.

From humble beginnings in St. Henri cold water flats, he eventually moved his family to a modest home in Westmount, with Kate at the financial helm. He always credited Kate for the financial achievements that they had been able to realize, although he never brought attention to the hard work that he contributed to their successes.

Ed's passion for photography flourished into a semi-professional career as a photographer, again chronicling a variety of events from weddings to highland games. At the same time, Ed began to take an active role in his parish, later extending his teamwork with Kate to this venue as well. As with all of his endeavors, Ed put in his best efforts and approached his parish duties with a faithfulness to which most can only aspire, becoming the Sunday fixture that many so warmly remember. This was merely an extension of his commitment to his faith, genuinely made so many years before.

With the youngest, Peter, in the Cubs, Ed became involved in the St. Leo's Scout / Cub Group Committee, quickly becoming the “Go To Guy” whenever real results were required. From that beginning, Ed became even more involved in his role as the Assistant Scoutmaster and later the Scoutmaster of the St. Leo's Scout Troop. He saw this era in his life as coming full circle, giving back what he had been granted earlier in his life. As with his other interests, Ed was tireless in his efforts to provide his charges with a lasting positive influence in their lives. Countless young men owe Ed a debt of gratitude for the life lessons that were learned through the Scouting movement under his tutelage.

As time passed, Ed became a grandfather several times over, and, as empty nesters, he and Kate were also able to realize their ambition to visit Italy and France on several occasions. He enjoyed talking about their travels and recounting some of their more humorous moments, although he admitted that they were not necessarily so humorous at the time.

When he began to have difficulties with his eyes, he chose to give up his active photography work, and became more energetic in his pursuit of another interest that was kindled in him at an early age, stamp collecting. Although he had retained his interest in stamps throughout his life, it was only after he had set aside the serious side of photography, and his pending retirement that he turned to his stamp collection to make use of some of his energies. Again, he approached his collection with the seriousness that was his way throughout his life. All who knew him well can remember his shameless lobbying for any stamp that he could add to his collection, and many hours were spent in this hobby that seemed to so enthral him.

In his later years, much of his time was spent in the company of the love of his life during her declining health. While this attention to her needs taxed his health and his heart, he delayed any measure that he felt would be a betrayal of his life-long partner until it was absolutely necessary for Kate's own safety. His devotion under the circumstances was so deep that it amazed many who would have said that it were not possible. Again, there were no half efforts for Ed.

In many ways, Ed was a self-made man. Ed would be the last to suggest that any financial achievements were his doing, but he was self-made in a really true sense. Ed grew up without a real role model, although you might disagree with that statement if you believe that a long list of things not to do constitutes a role model. So, without a real guide, Ed had to learn so many things on his own. He had to learn how to be a husband, a father and many more roles through old-fashioned trial and error, and not every attempt was a success. But through his character, he was able to persevere and learn from his mistakes. At a relatively young age, he had amassed enough experience and wisdom to become a role model to others and a source of support to those in need. Ed was a good listener, and dispensed advice and opinions with an eye dropper, yet those few words were most often priceless.

Discretion and diplomacy were two words that were high on the list of attributes that Ed possessed and practiced. He always maintained that there was a time and a place to express oneself, and these “clarifications” were usually best channelled to one-on-one circumstances, in order to be most effective. The path of quiet diplomacy is how he charted his life, putting great thought into the few words that he needed to communicate his ideas.

Throughout most of his life, Ed was focussed on his family and his faith, while other interests and passions served to merely add flavour to his chief concerns in life. First and foremost, his love and devotion for Kate was evident to all until her last moments on May 24th, 2005. After almost sixty-one years of marriage, he was suddenly alone. Although this had to be his darkest moment, he never showed the deep hurt that everyone knew was there. Instead, he stood strong and was a source of strength to his family in a very difficult time. As a very private man, he never grieved publicly, again discretion and diplomacy at work.

In the time after Kate's death, he set himself to continue to live in earnest for the future. With health problems of his own looming, he focussed himself on attaining a series of small goals to maintain his spirits. To this end he was successful, and it came as a great shock to his family and friends when he was struck ill and passed away shortly thereafter on May 3rd, 2006 to join Kate, the love of his life, forever.

It is not possible to fully describe how deeply Ed is missed by his family and friends, but the memory of his warm, caring demeanour lives on in the hearts of those he held so dear.