James "Jay" Robert Sampson was born June 18, 1979, to Tom Sampson and Teresa Schmitt. He was adventurous, and once leapt from the four-wheeler to the snow skis. He loved the outdoors and occasionally found time to set off a firework or two. He was involved in a number of sports including wrestling, baseball and football. He was also an active choir participant - a natural performer - who loved the soundtrack to The Phantom of the Opera as much as he did the first Beastie Boys' album. He attended Platte City and Benton High Schools, and Northwest Missouri State University. On March 14, 2015, he married his long-time girlfriend Laura Conner. Though the two did separate, they shared a family together, including three-stepchildren: Samantha, Madison and Preston Hicks and two children Burke and Marilyn Sampson. He was their loudest cheerleader, their fiercest champion. They were the collected loves of his life. Jay was a huge fan of technology. He worked in various technology-related fields over the years. His last five years were in software support for Touchnet Information Systems. On September 29, 2019, Jay passed away three months into his 40th year. In the wake of this loss, he is remembered as a vital family member, a loving and attentive father. He was also a side-splittingly funny comedian, a rampant trickster and a truly excellent friend. He was preceded in death by his paternal and maternal grandparents: Robert Sampson, Marilyn Sampson, for whom his youngest daughter is named, Virgil "Dean" Schmitt and Juanita (Sexton) Schmitt. He is survived by his mother, father and stepmother Kelley (Woodson) Sampson, three half-brothers Grant, Parker and Neal Sampson, and his five children. Also left behind are aunts, Loretta Pine (Devlin) and Annette Schmitt (Shepherd), uncles John and David Schmitt, and cousins Andrea Paloutzian (Schmitt), Amanda Fredrickson (Schmitt), Matthew, Mycah and Myles Schmitt. Jay was blessed with many lasting friendships including Sam Burke, for whom his youngest son is named, Dominick Crowell, Brent Paloutzian, Cooper Scott, and James Watkins. Following cremation, a visitation will be held 5:00 – 6:00 p.m., Monday, October 7, 2019; followed by a 6:00 p.m. Celebration of Jay’s Life at Rollins Funeral Home in Platte City, MO. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be given to VasculitisFoundation.org or The Alzheimer’s Association.