Valerie Sampson

Valerie Sampson

It is no wonder that almost 20 friends and colleagues made gifts to the Reading Recovery Fund in the memory of Reading Recovery teacher Valerie Samson, when she died last year. They remember Val as:

a great advocate for children, who was not afraid to speak her mind;

a wide-eyed optimist who thought she might conquer her disease one more time and come back to the kids;

someone who had a warm smile and a zest for life and was enormously proud of her three sons;

an enthusiastic fan of the “Blues” who was wonderful at making people feel welcome and part of a group;

a devout member of a Bible study group who was great at giving parenting advice;

a wonderful friend who had a flare for fashion and loved to eat out with her fellow teachers and with whom they could laugh until they cried.

the “queen of home shopping” who enjoyed antiquing, craft fairs, knitting, reading and doing ceramics;

One of her colleagues said, “Val enjoyed every moment to its fullest. She taught us all lessons about what is truly important in life. Through all her medical procedures, Val was always thinking of her students and how she could help improve their ability to read and understand. She truly knew that reading and understanding what one reads is the “Window on the World.”

Another remembers, “I always get a smile on my face when I think of her and what a wonderful person and teacher she was. I miss her but I will not remember her sadly, but happily, knowing she spent her life doing what she wanted to do. Valerie loved being a Reading Recovery teacher.”