Dolores Sampson

Dolores E. (Miller) Sampson, 91, of Novato, California, passed away on Sunday, January 28th. She is survived by her daughter, Diane Sampson, of Vacaville, CA; her granddaughter, Michelle (Tim) Holt, of Fond du Lac; her grandson, Thomas M. “Jake” Sampson of Grants Pass, OR; her sister-in-law, Anneliese Marsh of Baltimore, MD; and several cousins. Mrs. Sampson was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas A. Sampson, in Sunnyvale, CA in 1982. Their son, Thomas Michael Sampson, was a well known architectural designer in Vacaville, CA, and the surrounding area, until his death in 1986. Her brother, Loren Marsh, and lifelong friend, Walter “Rich” Eckert, also preceded her in death. Dolores was born in Manitowoc, WI, on March 11th, 1926, to Joseph and Eleanor (Kimpel) Miller. She moved to Fond du Lac as an infant, attended local schools and graduated from Goodrich High School with the Class of 1943. She was employed in the office of the Superintendent of Schools until her marriage to Thomas Sampson on November 8th, 1947. Mrs. Sampson served as Headquarters Supervisor for the Fond du Lac division of the American Heart Association from 1971 to 1977. She was also a co-organizer of the Block Parent Program in Fond du Lac. In 1977, due to the Giddings & Lewis strike, the Sampson’s accepted a highly publicized offer of free housing and a job at Lockheed Corporation in Sunnyvale, California, for Tom. Their move was accompanied by much fanfare and nation-wide media attention. After her husband’s death, Mrs. Sampson and her daughter relocated to the Los Angeles area where Dolores was employed as an administrative assistant in Glendale, CA. It was then that Dolores realized her lifelong dream of “mingling with the stars” as a member of the American Cinema Awards and the American Film Institute. Later, after spending 10 years in Prescott Valley, AZ, they relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1999, and returned to Fond du Lac in 2003, where Mrs. Sampson served as a Foster Grandparent at Chegwin School. In 2008, Dolores moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area settling in the Novato area until her death. A funeral service will be held for Dolores, on Monday, February 5th at 1:30 PM, at Ledgeview Memorial Park. Family and friends may call from 1:00 PM, until the time of the service.

Dolores Sampson

March 11, 1926 - January 28, 2018