Dreamer, deep thinker, pizza lover, cat lover, sister
Marcie Lewis, Samantha’s sister, describes her as “beautiful, smart, funny, and a lover of animals, especially cats.” Samantha’s immediate family consisted of her sisters, Marcie, and Joanne Shell, her parents Deborah and Richard Vance, her niece Morgan Snead and nephews, Jonah Sneed, and Ethan Lewis.
The youngest of three girls, Samantha, was close to her sisters–who were ten years older. She spent a lot of time with them and their families. During high school and college, the sisters would take Samantha with them on family trips to the beach. Samantha loved these vacations, eating crab legs, and spending time with her niece and nephews. In exchange for the free vacation, she would babysit the kids, allowing her sisters to have “an adult night out.”
For several years, Samantha lived with Marcie, and was a very positive influence on her son Ethan. Samantha shared a significant bond with her nephew, and in her sister’s words, she “was very influential” in his life. Ethan called her “Memaw” and she loved it.
Marcie has many memories of her sister, but one humorous incident stands out. Just after getting her driver’s license, Samantha was visiting her sister and newborn son. Samantha went to pick up a pizza, but couldn’t remember the way back to her sister’s house. She drove all the way back to her own home so she could figure out how to get back to her sister’s. Needless to say, the pizza was cold by the time she finally made it back.
Samantha was very dedicated to her education. Her first degree was in nursing, and after discovering she did not enjoy the profession, she returned to school for a master’s degree in Information Technology from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). Earning her graduate degree was a source of great accomplishment to Samantha who, despite battling depression and the overdose death of her boyfriend, managed to finish her education.
Samantha struggled with substance use disorder (SUD) for five years. Her disease seriously affected her personality, going from kind and loving to combative and manipulative. It was difficult for the family knowing they could not directly “fix” the problem and having to watch someone they love struggle with the disease.
According to Marcie, “Samantha didn’t make plans for the future.” She did dream of getting married and being a parent one day, but her constant battle with depression made it difficult to plan ahead. Her sister believed “Samantha would have been a wonderful parent,” but her disorder kept her from having her own family.
Ultimately, Samantha’s substance abuse struggles made Marcie more compassionate to others with SUD. Since her sister’s death, she has become an advocate on the issue, volunteering as a board member with Not One More Alabama and educating others on the disease.
Samantha’s sister, Marcie Lewis, provided the information for this narrative.
January 28, 1988- June 13, 2019-Age 31
Portrait Artist: Shawn Faust
Narrative Writer: Justin Robertson