Stephen Phillip Leonard Samson

Stephen Phillip Leonard Samson, 34, passed away Friday September 7, 2018 in Chico, CA. Stephen was born in Los Angeles, California on July 31, 1984. He lived his childhood years in San Luis Obispo, attending CL Smith Elementary, Laguna Middle School, and graduating with Honors from SLO High School, Class of 2002, receiving the President’s Academic Excellence Award and where he was Editor of the school newspaper. He went on to graduate with Honors from UC Berkeley with a BA in English. He then attended Cal Poly as a graduate student and grad instructor. Steve was a generous, friendly and funny young man. He was a talented writer, great with kids, loved sports, podcasts, reading, and dancing tango. Steve was deeply sensitive to the human condition. He wrote in one of his high school editorials, “We come into this world alone and we leave alone. While on Earth, we are lucky enough to be around other human beings and we shouldn’t squander this time by acting like savages. The future depends on how we act today. Just be civil.” Steve is survived by his father, Thomas Leonard of Avila Beach; his mother, Patricia Gundert of SLO; his beloved siblings Tina Leonard, Michael, Kelly and Alyssa Gundert; his stepfather, Robert Gundert; his step-grandmother JoEllen Parish; stepsister Amber, and stepbrothers Ozgür Can, Devrim, Arthur and Peter Leonard; numerous uncles, aunts, and cousins of the US, tíos, tías, primos and abuelita Ruth of Chile; and countless dear friends. To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of Stephen Phillip Leonard Samson, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.