Georgette Blanche (Gobeil) Sampson

AUBURN – Georgette Blanche (Gobeil) Sampson, 90, of Auburn, died at Schooner Estates surrounded by her loving family on Feb. 23, 2022.

She was born at home in Auburn, on June 23, 1931, the oldest of nine daughters of Amedee Gobeil, a barber, and Marie-Ange (Perron) Gobeil, a teacher and homemaker.

She was educated in Auburn schools and was a proud 1950 graduate of Edward Little High School. She is best known for her spunk, her sass, and being decades ahead of her time. In her teens, she was the first female paper-girl for the Lewiston Sun Journal. She loved to share her fond memories of working for J.J. Newberry in downtown Lewiston in her high school years. She lived life on her terms and didn’t mind questioning the status quo. She advocated for what she believed in.

She met Richard “Dick” R. Sampson through her future sister-in-law, Doris Therriault and his Aunt Lorette by asking Georgette to be his date for a dance. She was a proud military bride and was married on Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1952. She followed her husband to Brooklyn, N.Y. before returning to Maine to start a family while Dick had many military deployments during his 11 years in the Navy. They were married for 61 years when he passed away from Alzheimer’s.

As her family grew she worked in the cafeteria at Sacred Heart School taking great pride meeting students that she would remember years later, as well as selling Stanley Home Products, but ultimately finished her career working at General Electric in Auburn.

Upon retirement, she became passionate about current affairs and would spend hours clipping newspaper articles that piqued her interest, and many would be shared in a letter or card. She loved to reminisce about the history of where she grew up in the Lewiston-Auburn area. Wherever she went, a history lesson was always told or you were quizzed on it to see if you were listening as she had an encyclopedic memory.

Georgette loved to travel to new places like Italy, San Francisco, D.C. as well as visit her family in Canada, New York, Hawaii, Florida and Oklahoma. One of her fondest memories was traveling cross country with her husband and oldest son, Rick, when he was discharged from the military in 1977. She always looked forward to her “Sisters’ Day” reunions, usually twice a year to celebrate birthdays together with a different travel destination in Maine. She loved spending time with her two great-granddaughters, Eva and Nina.

Georgette is survived by her children, Rick and Kathy (Lavoie) Sampson of Lewiston, Ray and Sonya (Canning) Sampson of Topsham, Robbie and Mariane (Simas) Sampson of Queensbury, N.Y., Ann Sampson of Auburn, daughter-in-law, Celeste (Perrier) Sampson of Auburn; eight grandchildren, Kimberly Sampson, Corey Sampson, Megan Baril, Jenna Sampson, Kayla Weisman, Kyle Weisman, Jeremy Sampson, and Jarod Sampson; her two great-granddaughters, Eva and Nina Sampson; sisters Monique and Andy Gagne of Lewiston, Marguerite and Paul Goulet of Lewiston, Pat Marquis of Oklahoma, Claire and Charlie Leduc of Brunswick, and Sue and Mike Luciano of Jay, and Florida; brother and sisters-in-law, Maurice and Joan Sampson, Doris (Sampson) Therriault of Lewiston; as well as many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her husband, Richard R. Sampson in 2013; newborn son, Daniel in 1954, her son, Deputy Dennis P. Sampson in 2018; parents Amedee and Marie-Ange Gobeil; her in-laws Nelson and Juliette Sampson, brothers-in-law Edmund Sampson, Wilfred Chouinard, Norm Marquis; sister-in-law, Joan (Sampson) Chouinard, sisters Anita, Priscilla Ann, and Mariette Timberlake in 2020.

The family would like to thank the professional staff at Schooner Estates, Androscoggin Home Health and Hospice, and Dr. Jeffrey Brown for their exceptional patience, support, and nurturing care over the last eight months.

Online condolences may be shared at http://www.thefortingroupauburn.com. Visitation hours at Fortin Funeral Home in Auburn on Wednesday, March 2 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Sacred Heart Church on Thursday at 11 a.m. followed by burial at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Lewiston.

A service of The Fortin Group Funeral Home/ Auburn, 217 Turner St., 783-8545.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Dennis P. Sampson Scholarship Fund,

Dirigo Federal Credit Union,

1 Lewiston St.,

Mechanic Falls, ME 04256

Georgette Blanche (Gobeil) Sampson