Lonnie Sampson was born in Faison, NC in 1930. He was one of 15 children born to the marriage union of Mary Stevens and Charlie Sampson. Lonnie’s siblings, along with his mother and father, preceded him in death.

As a young boy Lonnie enjoyed being with his brothers and sisters. They called themselves the Hornet’s Nest because if somebody gave one of them trouble, he or she would get stung by all of them! Lonnie loved his mother’s cooking and especially enjoyed her chocolate and coconut cakes. As a teenager he learned how to drive on an old dirt road and he and his brothers and sisters picked cotton for pocket money. In 1953, at 23 years old, Lonnie was enlisted in the United States Army where he served in Germany during the Korean War. Sargent Lonnie Sampson received an honorable discharge in 1954 and was proud of his service to his country.

It wasn’t long after a young Lonnie was discharged from the Army that he headed north and settled in Chicago. He rented a room and worked a few odd jobs before being hired as a farmhand to raise horses. He truly loved caring for the horses and often spoke fondly of his time on the farm taming wild mares and riding bulls. He later met his now deceased wife, Hazel, known to many as Mama Hazel, and helped raise two young daughters: Sheila and (deceased) Pam. Lonnie and Hazel eventually bought a home and he retired after a long career as a pressman for Continental Web Press.

Lonnie confessed his life to Christ as a young man and believed in the power of prayer! He and Hazel were long-standing members of Lilydale Progressive Baptist Church where he sometimes sang in the men’s choir. He enjoyed attending Sunday service and spending time with family whether it was at a birthday party, bar-b-que or Sunday dinner at home eating Mama Hazel’s fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, greens and hot water cornbread. An outdoorsman at heart, he loved growing vegetables in his garden and tending to his lawn. You’d often find him sitting in his favorite lawn chair in the backyard or on the front porch chatting with a neighbor. Or you’d find him in front of the TV watching westerns or news shows and weighing in on a politician or some political scandal like he was a reporter for CNN!

Lonnie was affectionately known as Papa to his grandchildren Lisa, Tracye, Lori, Kevin and Ian; and his great-grandchildren Noah, Starr, Kevin, Cameron and Alex. His no-nonsense demeanor and rigid ways may have worked a nerve or two, but his dry humor and iconic phrases like “I’m gon’ knock a knot on you!” were funny and endearing. Lonnie was, and still is, at the center of many of the hilarious stories we tell over and over and laugh hysterically like we’re telling them for the first time! In his unique way, Lonnie was an amazing brother, husband, father and grandfather. He taught some of his grands and great-grands how to ride a bike and drive a car; he paid for tuition and braces and shopping sprees at Marshall Fields and often helped family members in need.

Lonnie Sampson: A force to be reckoned with, a hard-working family man who provided for and protected his loved ones, and a man after God’s own heart.