Sam left us on Jan. 31, 2021 at the age of 56. He was born on a sunny day in Merritt on July 25, 1965.
He is predeceased by his parents Samuel Abel & Louise Jules and Walter & Joan Winter. Left to grieve are his daughter Caitlyn and grandsons Deklin and Cayden, to whom he meant the world and they to him. Also in sorrow are Caitlyn’s mom Gail, his brothers and sisters Cookie (Joe), Joan, Lorraine, Roseann, Dianne (Ian), Joyan (Dirk), Raphael, Katrine, Pierre (Shorty) and many cousins, nieces, nephews and family friends.
Sam spent his childhood in the woods at Campbell Lake in the North Thompson where he learned so much from Mom about nature, wildlife and a whole lot about fish. Unbeknownst to him at the time, he created many hilarious family memories which we will always cherish.
Sam graduated from Barriere Secondary in 1983 and was one of those lucky kids to participate in Katimavik (a cross-country youth program) where he learned how to speak French and experience life in three parts of Canada. With encouragement from a high-school teacher, he attended and graduated from the cooking program at the Pacific Vocational Institute in Vancouver and worked as a cook at the Banff Springs Hotel (where he and Gail met and married) and later in other restaurants in Victoria, West Vancouver and Kamloops. He loved cooking and would still be standing on his feet 8-12 hours a day in a kitchen had arthritis not made this impossible.
Sam will always be remembered for his overly generous personality – so generous that it often worked against his own best interests, for his devotion to his daughter and grandsons, helping family as much as his health would allow and serving as chef for decades at large family gatherings. He loved to travel and dreamed of many more international adventures.
Sam learned a bit about hunting while brushing his teeth one morning at Campbell Lake. “Hey, Dad, there’s a four-point buck outside the bathroom window.” Dressed in a suit and tie, Dad (soon to become affectionately referred to as The Great White Hunter), did the deed. We ate venison steaks and stew for many weeks afterwards. Fortunately Sam actually honed his hunting skills alongside his brother-in-law Joe and our stew pots simmered and venison steaks sizzled once again. Over the decades, Sam learned a great more about his heritage and traditions. He was lovingly embraced by his Simpcw family, and with open hearts, the Campbell Lake clan was also welcomed into the fold.
We are saddened that many of his Secwepmec traditions cannot be followed at this time due to covid protocols. The family appreciates the full-on, attentive treatment Sam received by the doctors, nurses and staff at Royal Inland Hospital. Kukwstép-kuc. Despite their many efforts, Sam died of a rare, rapid-spreading infection from an injury to his right hand that occurred a few days earlier and for which there is no cure.
Sam will be deeply and forever missed. As Joe so eloquently put it: “Memories are spilling out of my eyes and running down my face.”
Offer Condolence for the family of Samuel Evans Jules Winter 1965 – 2021
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Samuel Evans Jules Winter 1965 –..
Décès pour la Ville: Barriere, Province: Colombie britanique