SamWilson

Sam Wilson

July 13, 1942 - July 12, 2018

From Sam's auto-obituary... that is, he wrote it himself.

I was born in Halifax in 1942, the first-born to the late F. Harold Wilson (d. 1973) and I. Mabel Keyes (d. 1953).

I am survived by my soulmate, best friend and dearly-loved husband of 27 years, Robert "Bob" Fougere. Also surviving me are two adored daughters, Mamie MacIsaac and Hilary Doucet, and their mother, Heather Wilson; siblings Murray (Elaine) and Linda (late Paul) Power, and many many others in my extended family.

All of you have influenced my life in so many ways and have taught me to forgive, to mature, to love and to grow in love and, hopefully, to have become a better person. Regrets, I do have. I have had a fantastic life despite having had a great trauma early in life with the death of my mother. I thank you all for the great adventure I have had on this earth; it has been phenomenal in so many ways.

I grew up in Dartmouth and Waverley, graduating from Admiral Westphal School. At age 15, I met a young charmer, Heather Chapman, and seven years later we were married and a few years thence were blessed with two daughters.

1991 saw a momentous, life-changing event when I met Bob; my life has never been the same since then! We were legally married in 2006. Strong personalities, we have both learned how and when to stay firm or to bend as needed. There have been challenges no doubt, but the love we share has only grown over the years into this most profound state. Throughout my life I have always found humour in most things; it has carried me through some tough situations. I loved a good joke and Bob would often say that "Sam has a special way with the English language," meaning I curse (a little!)

I retired from Stora in Port Hawkesbury in 1998 as Vice President of Finance & Administration at which time Bob and I moved to the Halifax area. We have travelled extensively during our time together, across Canada and the USA, to many Mediterranean and Baltic countries, France, England and most recently to Iceland. It has been simply fantastic... more than the imagination can comprehend sometimes.

Upon relocating to Halifax, Bob and I became very involved in volunteer work with Safe Harbour Metropolitan Community Church (a Christian church founded and run by the LGBTQI community) until its closure in 2011 and its Manna for Health outreach ministry which survived the church closure.

For 19 years, we have continued that involvement with Manna, a special needs food program whose purpose is to assist in meeting the nutritional requirements of people living with HIV and other life threatening illnesses. For many years Bob was on the forefront of the LGBTQI rights movement here in Nova Scotia through Safe Harbour, Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project, the Youth Project and other endeavours. I have been honoured and delighted to have supported him all the way and was, myself, sometimes in the limelight.

I ask that if you wish to make some sort of memorial donation, that it be to Manna for Health or to a charity of your choice. Manna's mailing address id 6199 Chebucto Rd, Halifax, B3L 1K7.

I have recently learned that my ancestry includes an Irish component. So at the risk of being plagiaristic I will quote from an Irish novelist: "My life has been showered with shamrocks." Truly!

Bob would like to acknowledge, with thanks the wonderful quality of care he received through every aspect of his long and sometimes difficult journey. Particular acknowledgement to our family doctor, the cancer care group and the palliative care team. he would have been very pleased to know that we have been able to donate his brain to the brain bank.

Comments

My name is Hugh MacIntyre and I had the great privilege and honour of meeting both Sam and Bob when I began attending spiritual services at Safe Harbour, Metropolitan Community Church in late 2005 until it's closure. During that time I had lived in Truro and commuted to Halifax weekly to attend church services. Sam and Bob always greeted me with wide open welcoming arms and I experienced each of them as highly spiritual, caring, thoughtful, charitable, genuine, authentic and my ideal of how christian men present themselves to the world. In fact it was their modelling behaviour that motivated me to extend myself in the best manner I was capable of demonstrating during the time of my life.

My shyness and being an introvert I tend to present myself as a very private guy who can easily get lost or at least unnoticed in a crowd. Both Sam and Bob never in all the years I attended services at Safe Harbour allowed me to get lost in the crowd, always extending warmness and acceptance my way which filled me with hope faith and a desire to keep pushing myself to move past the darkness I was experiencing during those past years.

Once Safe Harbour dissolved I lost touch with my church community and haven't been in contact wit Sam or Bob over the years. Upon hearing about Sam's passing I was sadden that I never told him or for that matter Bob how very much I so appreciated their presence in my life and how their presence blew faith hope and love into my dark existence during that rough journey patch of my life.

Although I receive updates from The ElderBerries community I haven't attended any of the social gatherings or monthly meetings. Thus not having any personal contact with The Elderberries community or with my past friends from the Safe Harbour community I knew of no other way to get my voice heard in being able to acknowledge my thankfulness to God for bringing Sam and Bob into my world.