Bill was born April 6, 1959, in Harvey, IL to William and Jalaine Jordan Sampias. Bill graduated from Homewood Flossmoor High School in 1977. He graduated from Illinois College with a degree in Business Administration in 1981. At Illinois College, he met his wife Sandra (Sandy) Miller Sampias. They were married June 12, 1982. He received his MBA from University of Illinois – Springfield (formerly Sangamon State University) in 1983. Bill worked his entire career at the Illinois Office of the Auditor General. He started as an intern with the Graduate Public Service Internship Program (GPSI). He received many promotions and became Director of the Information Systems Audit Division in 1989 and served in that compacity until his retirement in 2018. During his career, Bill published several works in the areas of disaster contingency planning, end-user computing, fraud, effective communications, and security awareness.
Bill was a devoted family man. When his children were growing up, he was very involved in their extracurricular activities. He coached Jessica and Kirstyn in softball for many years with CBSI and the Chatham Heat. He also coached their basketball teams through YBA in Chatham. He shared his love of tennis with them and supplemented their training by hitting balls with them and teaching them often. He was a large supporter of Wes in his Boy Scout endeavors and Scholastic Bowl.
As his children grew into adults, their time together continued to be special as their father/child relationship grew into true friendship. For Bill, his favorite times were the small moments when everyone was together. Things like sitting on the back patio listening to music and chatting, watching the Chicago Cubs/Bears/Bulls, enjoying family pickleball matches, sitting on the beach in Orange Beach, Alabama, enjoying special times with his grandchildren, and making all of us laugh until tears with his wit and sense of humor.
Bill was a devoted and loving husband. With his wife Sandy, he shared his love of travel and adventure. Together, they traveled to over 25 countries and enjoyed cruises. The family travelled together extensively and many happy memories were made.
His favorite hobby was golf and he spent hours on the course and off the course enjoying the game. Although a competitive man, through golf he made many special friendships.
Bill is survived by his loving wife of almost 42 years, Sandy; his children, Jessica (Benjamin) Craig, Kirstyn (Justin) Kunz, and Wesley Jordan (Weizhen Li); his beloved grandchildren, Emerson, Evelyn and Theodore Craig and Carter and Cameron Kunz. Additional survivors include his sister, Sheryl (John) Polk; mother-in-law, Judith Miller; brother-in-law, Eric (Anissa) Miller; sister-in-law, Pamela Lemoine; nieces and nephews, Jalaine (Nathan) Struckmeier, John Wright (Kaylie) Polk, Noah (Robin) Polk, Hannah and Payton (Jason Roberts) Lemoine, Camille (Zac) Pruett, Joseph (Stephanie) Miller and Brock Miller; and several great nieces and nephews.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William and Jalaine Jordan Sampias; and father-in-law, Jeral Miller.
Cremation will be provided prior to ceremonies.
Memorial Gathering: Family will receive friends from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at Butler Funeral Home-Springfield, 900 S. 6th St., Springfield, IL.
A Celebration of Life/Happy Hour will be held 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Friday, May 3, 2024, at Illini Country Club, 1601 Illini Rd., Springfield. Remembrances by family to be shared at 5:00 p.m.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Bill Sampias ’81 Endowed Scholarship at Illinois College, 1101 W College Ave, Jacksonville, IL 62650. Anyone interested in mailing a check could do so to this address and just write Bill's name in the memo line. They also accept online gifts at www.ic.edu/give. On that form, there is a field called Designation. If you click the last option on the list, which is Other, then friends and family can put Bill's name in that line. They will apply any gifts through these channels or from the funeral home to Bill's scholarship and send the family a list of contributors. All gifts are tax-deductible.
