Mildred Joan Sampson

Mildred Sampson, known affectionately to friends and family as Millie, passed away peacefully this week at the Northwood Care Home in Halifax, N.S. Millie was born in Halifax on July 10, 1936, to William and Louise Briand. She later married Francis Sampson, of L’Ardoise, and the couple raised their two children, Jerome and Neil, on Birmingham Street in downtown Halifax. She was predeceased by her parents, husband Francis, brother Wayne and sister Viola, and is survived by her sons Jerome (Maria) and Neil Sampson, grandchildren Jessica (Scott), Jennifer (Ben), Andrew (Jake), Matthew and Anna, great-grandchildren Olivia, Cameron and Ethan, and many special friends. Millie was one-of-a-kind. If she loved you, you knew it. And if you disappointed her, or even if she didn’t like your latest haircut, you knew that too. She could make quick work of the crypto quote, and even quicker work of anyone who crossed her. But underneath her tough exterior, she led with love. If she was proud of you, she’d let everyone in her vicinity know. This was clear in the mementos she saved over the years, from a newspaper article about Neil’s promotion at work, or the box scores from Jerome’s old baseball and basketball games, to the countless photos of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren that adorned her walls. Her sons were her pride and joy, something she never tired of telling them, but that pride grew to encompass everyone else in their circle too. Many of Jerome and Neil’s friends considered her something of a second mother. Everyone was welcome to come by and even to crash on the couch after a night on the town. When the family finally sold their home on Birmingham Street, she had to issue a call to get all the many keys she’d handed out to them over the years back. Many of these surrogate sons continued to come to her Christmas Eve parties well into adulthood, when they had kids of their own – and those kids, too, have fond memories of Millie, and the personalized Gingerbread Men she’d bake every year. In her later years, Millie lived on Liverpool Street, in the West End, where she was a key fixture of the neighborhood. She loved playing darts at the Mess, going to bingo at the Forum, having breakfast or lunch at the Cozy Snack Bar (she even kept her own Coffee Mate on retainer at the restaurant!) – and checking in with her neighbors, many of whom became close friends. We will miss her terribly but are grateful to have had so many years with her. A special thanks to Millie’s friends and staff who she called her extended family at Northwood on Floor 3 who took such loving care of her until she passed. A funeral service will be held at St. Catherine’s Parish on Bayers Road on Tuesday, Dec. 3. at 11 a.m. with a reception in the Church Hall to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to the charity of your choice. "No Flowers By request"

Mildred Joan Sampson

July 10, 1936 - November 18, 2024