Anna Samson

Anna Maria Samson (nee Nanni) was born September 6, 1936, in Castelluccio, Italy, in a house that had been in her family for over 400 years. Anna witnessed history as Italy was drawn into the second world war. Her earliest childhood memories were of her family aiding the partisans while Nazis occupied her small mountain town outside of Bologna. Anna grew up under Mussolini's rule and yet regaled her 7 grandchildren with happy stories of 3 generations and multiple families living together under one roof, eating delicious food prepared by her nonna and mother, and she and her two brothers and cousins playing in the Italian countryside - even that one time they found an arm…

Anna was well educated, a student of history. She found a career in sales and as a supervisor and trainer for Standa, a well-known department store of its time. New Year's Eve 1961 would change the course of Anna's life. At a party she almost didn't attend, she met Robert Samson, a young medical student from Brooklyn, New York studying to be a doctor at The Università di Bologna. We assume his Italian got better and she learned enough English because they married in 1964. Robert graduated medical school in 1965 and they moved to Brooklyn. Robert promised she'd love it, telling her it would remind her of Switzerland. Despite the slight mischaracterization, Anna birthed 3 sons before Robert finished his residency and they moved to Tarzana, California.

To say Anna was flexible, may be the greatest understatement. Uprooted yet again, and now with small children, this move was no challenge to Anna. She proceeded to find lifelong friends with a large expat community of Los Angeles Italians, wonderful neighbors, wives of Robert's colleagues, and women who shared her passion for art. Anna was a gifted artist, taking up china painting, toll painting, and stained glass.

Anna was the most devoted of mothers and was deeply loved by her three sons. Their childhood was marked by amazing homemade halloween costumes, delicious feasts that had their friends always available for dinner at the Samsons, and incredible annual trips to visit Anna's family in Italy.

Anna doubled down on all her best qualities to be the greatest Nonna that ever lived. Babies were quickly sedated by The Nonna Hold and nursery rhymes sung in Bolognese dialect. Her 7 grandchildren will have lifelong memories of folding tortellini for Christmas dinner and a freezer always full with the most delicious meat sauce. Every sleepover at Nonna's house ended with endless crepes filled with homemade Nonna jam - triple berry, peach or marmalade.

Anna was the true matriarch of our family. Ruling with love and kindness, she welcomed daughters-in-law, extended family, and all of their friends into her warm home. Any request, big or small, was always met with "of course".

Anna is survived by her husband of 58 years, Robert Samson, her sons Marc (Marianne), Stephan (Dina), David (Kimberly), and her grandchildren, Michael, Nicholas, Riley, Aidan, Tyler, Luca, and finally her girl, Gaia.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donating to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at https://www.lls.org/