James Edward Sampson

The memorial service for James will be held at Leahy Funeral Home at 27 Smith Ave. in Kingston, NY on Tuesday, February 18th from 4-6PM.

Father Jeffrey Maurer, a former student, will preside over the service. A livestream of the service can be viewed here

It is with heavy hearts that we bid farewell to James Edward Sampson.  James passed away on February 8th, at the age of 77.  He was born on June 19th, 1947 in Grand Forks, North Dakota to Edward and Josephine (Deitz) Sampson.

James was an accomplished history teacher whose unorthodox style made him a big hit among his students.  He always thought of others first and would dole out tidbits of advice (And snacks) to anyone who needed it. James was known by a plethora of nicknames: His family in North Dakota affectionately called him 'Brother' or 'Bub', while his students at Peekskill and John A Coleman High School called him 'Sammy' or 'Jimmy', or simply 'Sampson'.  James spent time teaching in California, Michigan, and Mexico City before ending up in the Hudson Valley.  Although James always talked about moving back to North Dakota, he ended up staying in New York for over 30 years, surrounded by good friends and a few casinos within driving distance.

James is survived by his sister and her husband, Darlene and Gary Goetz, along with their children, Tracy Burgum and Fred Goetz, and grandchildren Aubry Burgum, Nick Burgum, Jackson Burgum, Carter Goetz, Norah Goetz, and Lexi Goetz.  James is also survived by his aunt, Dorothy Johnson, and niece, Tammy Irvine, as well as the thousands of students whose lives he impacted.