Obituaries

Joseph Alfred Samson, 91, of Halifax, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Sept 4, 2021, , with family by his side.

Born in the village of Little Anse, Isle Madame, NS, Joseph was the son of the late Albert and Mary Samson. He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Barbara (Parker) Samson; children, Kenneth Samson, Elizabeth Samson, Dean Samson (Beth) and Michele Samson (Robert); grandchildren, Kevin Samson (Ashley), Sarah Samson (Jonathan), Brandon Samson (Allison), Brittney MacLean (Jeremy), and Jillian Stubbert (Connor); great grandchildren, Kayli, Nicholas, Scarlett, William, and Lochlan; sisters, Margaret Landry and Yvonne Field; brothers, Harold (Linda) Samson and Leopold (Eileen) Samson; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sisters, Mary (Danny) Marchand, Martha (Bob) Peddle, and Edith Marchand, and brothers Ralph (Lydia) Samson, and Leo Samson.

Joseph left Cape Breton at the early age of 17, and headed for Halifax, NS, where he started working for Imperial Oil onboard the ships in the engine room. He talked fondly and often about his time there, telling stories of travelling through the Panama Canal, Paraguay, Venezuela, and Argentina. During his five years with Imperial Oil, he would spend his shore leave in Halifax. This is when he met Barbara, the love of his life. He was sure to remind her at every opportunity that it was love from the first moment. Barbara was new to the city and a few years his junior. He told her he was going to marry her in a few years, which he did! They were married in 1957. Shortly after they had their first child, Kenny, followed Liz, Dean, and Michele. Over the years their home became home to countless family members. Their door was always open to anyone in need of a warm bed. When expecting their first child, Joseph started what would be a 36-year career at the HMC Dock Yard as a supply man, so he could be home to raise his family. In later years he was joined at the Dock Yard by his sons: Kenny and Dean. He could not have been happier about it. Family was the most important to Joseph. He was a very proud father, grandfather, great grandfather, and uncle.

He was a remarkable Man, described by friends and family as generous, kind, warm, and tender. Acts of service were very important to Joseph. He was a dedicated blood donor with over 200 donations in his lifetime. You could also find him at the Halifax Armouries, where he was a CIL Officer RCACC, 2501 Cadet Core. He was joined five years later by his son Kenny. They continued this together until Joseph retired in 1994.

One of Josephs many passions was horse racing. At any given time, you could find him at the track with his best friend Denny- caring for the horses and maybe placing a little wager here and there. Denny had many horses over the years and even named one after his best friend. “Samspace” became a champion racer and Joseph was incredibly proud of his namesake.

Joie De Vivre- Joy of Living, a perfect phrase for Joseph, or Papa as he was known to his family! Papa took pleasure in the small things in life. He would stop to smell the roses, iterally-maybe a little too much and would drive Barb a little crazy. He never sweat the small stuff. He knew the secret to a life well lived. He was generous with his time, love, and humor. He spent much of his time with his children, grandchildren and even his grand-puppies!

A hockey dad through and through, he loved to tell the story of gearing up his son Dean, who could not even skate, with goalie gear and carrying him to the net!

He was an avid gardener. His garden was abundant, and he loved to share his surplus with everyone. He loved being active and kept himself busy. More than anything, he loved spending time with his family. Even in his late 80’s he would go to work with his son Kenny or grandson Brandon as a helping hand. Papa was also very proud of his daughter Elizabeth and her many special Olympics medals. His youngest, Michele (“Me-Shel” as he would pronounce her name), was his little girl- they had a special relationship. She was a “daddy’s girl” and Papa cherished the time spent with her and her dogs.

To put into words who Papa was to his family, friends, neighbours, or anyone he met on the street on his daily walk, would be an impossible task. He loved to meet people and chat, boy did he like to chat. He could strike a conversation with anyone and instantly make a connection.

Joseph and Barb raised their family with unconditional love that radiated through generations. Life without Papa will never be the same, but we are so fortunate to have had the love and guidance of Joseph Samson, a “man of men” and a true friend to all.

We would like to give a special thank you to Dr. Andrew Humphrey, Family Medicine, Dr. John Grantmyre, Urologist, and Dr. Lori Wood, Oncologist, as well as the nurses, doctors, and caring staff at the VG Palliative Care unit. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the compassionate, loving care, and thank you for allowing Papa to be himself to the end- helping him reach his 100 Hugs to mark his hundredth birthday that he so often spoke of looking forward to. We are forever grateful.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society, or Special Olympics Canada.

Celebration of Life will be on Oct 24, details to follow.