Bill Sampson, CP. Photograph courtesy of Sampson’s Prosthetic & Orthotic Laboratory.
William “Bill” Sampson, CP, passed away on March 15. He was 79.
Sampson was born in Manhattan, New York, and according to Sampson’s Prosthetic & Orthotic Laboratory, Schenectady, New York, he worked for a jewelry manufacturer after graduating from high school then served in the Army from 1952 to 1953, with an additional eight years with the Army reserve. In 1954, he married Alfrieda (Frieda) Morea.
He began his career in prosthetics in the 1950s as an apprentice with the Institute for Disabled and Crippled, New York, New York. After seven years, he became certified by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics & Prosthetics (ABC). In 1961, he and several other practitioners formed a partnership in Schenectady. Sampson founded his own facility, Sampson’s Prosthetic and Orthotic Laboratory in Schenectady in 1968. He owned and operated the company for almost 49 years, building it up to include five locations throughout New York state.
Throughout the 1960s and until his retirement in 2000, Sampson attended courses, seminars, and clinical workshops on upper- and lower-limb prosthetics at New York University (NYU), the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). His professional specialty areas included advanced upper- and lower-limb prostheses.
“Bill loved helping people and shared that caring commitment with his family and all who knew him,” Sampson’s company wrote in a news release. “Although he was very skilled as a practitioner and focused on providing his patients their highest level of mobility, his approach to care was a gentle one, making his patients feel comfortable and cared for. His ‘gift of gab’ could coax conversation from even the most reticent talkers. Bill’s engaging bedside manners was genuine because he really cared about people. Even in retirement, Bill would inquire about his former patients.”
Sampson and his wife raised four children, Donna, Patricia, Robert, and William (Bill). Bill joined the company full-time as a certified prosthetist in 1985 and is now president of the firm. Patricia also works for the company.
Sampson’s P&O Laboratory concluded, “The staff, patients, and associates of Sampson’s Prosthetic and Orthotic Laboratory Inc., mourn the passing of its founder and their friend…. Bill embraced life to the fullest. Whether he was cheering on the Yankees and Giants, playing golf, spending time at the racetrack or casino, or enjoying an evening at the theater, Bill was always a friend to all. A tremendous husband, father, grandfather, and companion, Bill will be missed by all who knew and loved him.”
