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Natividad Sanchez Samson passed away peacefully on December 31, 2025, at her home in Foothill, Sylmar, after a year and a half of illness. She was 101 years old.Natividad was born on December 21, 1924, in Pasay City, Philippines, to Candelaria Carlos and Tomestocles Sanchez. She was the second child in a family of five—one son and four daughters: Jose, Rosa, Avelina, Lydia, and Clemencia. All have preceded her in death except her youngest sister, Clemencia.Her father passed away when Natividad was only six years old. She and two of her sisters, Rosa and Avelina, spent part of their childhood at St. Anthony Orphanage. When she was twelve, her mother remarried, and the family was reunited as they left the orphanage.During World War II, her only brother served in the army and was wounded. While visiting him in the hospital, Natividad met Amado Ignacio Samson, a sergeant in the Philippine–U.S. Army who was also hospitalized at the time. Their meeting marked the beginning of a lifelong partnership.At the age of 19, Natividad married Amado on March 5, 1944. Together, they raised eleven children between 1944 and 1964: Jose (deceased), Bonifacio (Salvacion Libuna), Brigida (Edgardo Gatdula), Bernardino (deceased), Benito (Dionisia Capili), Socorro, Stella Maris (Angelito Torres), Saturnino “Attorney” (Francia Aguillon), Antonio (Kathy Marie Velaski), Susana and Angel (Jennifer San Diego).When Amado suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed, Natividad cared for him with patience, devotion, and love, ensuring his recovery through healthy meals and constant support. They were married for nearly fifty years before Amado passed away on November 1, 1993.Natividad was a deeply devoted mother. She taught her children the importance of prayer, faith, and family togetherness. The rosary was prayed nightly at 8:00 p.m., and meals were shared as a family. Though resources were limited, Sundays were always special—marked by shared meals and snacks. She was a firm but loving disciplinarian, assigning chores and instilling responsibility in each child. Family traditions were cherished, including thoroughly cleaning the home before holidays and preparing special foods such as halaya, Filipino-style ham, and assorted cold cuts for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.Although her formal education ended at sixth grade, Natividad was intelligent, talented, and extraordinarily hardworking. She studied sewing and became a skilled seamstress, making dresses worn by her daughters as they grew up. She was also an entrepreneur, running a small store near Ateneo at the corner of Quezon Boulevard and Katipunan. To supplement the family income, she designed shoes, employed shoemakers, and sold her creations. She even supervised the construction of the family home on Julian G. Cruz Street (Chorillo), Barangca, Marikina—calculating materials and costs herself. Had she been given the opportunity to attend college, she would have made an exceptional mathematics teacher.Her life was marked by many hardships: the loss of her first child at the age of two, her husband’s loss of employment, the challenge of feeding and raising a large family without steady income, and illnesses within the family. Through it all, Natividad remained resilient, drawing strength from her faith, intelligence, and determination to survive and provide.In 1990, she immigrated to the United States. Language was never a barrier—she read, wrote, and spoke English fluently, surpassing many immigrants of her generation. After Amado’s passing in 1993, she embraced life fully, traveling with family and friends to destinations around the world, including the Holy Land, Europe, and the Caribbean, by land tours and cruises. She enjoyed casino trips and playing mahjong—often jokingly referred to as holding a “PhD in mahjong,” as she could outplay nearly anyone.Natividad was also an exceptional cook. Her signature dishes, dinuguan and pancit palabok, were beloved by family and friends. She enjoyed baking and created her own recipes for mamon, peanut butter cookies, and coconut cookies. Creative and resourceful, she was always finding ways to improve the lives of those she loved.Her legacy lives on through her twenty-one grandchildren and their spouses: Pam (Ivan Dalisay), Edgardo Jr. (Mary Sage), Joseph (Laura Raggatt), Angela (Marcus Johannes), Paul (Jackqueline Estrada), Samuel (Claudette Lopez), Sarah, Michael, Vincent, Joana (Sam Kim), Stephen, Bryan, Eileen, Christine, David, Anthony “Tino,” Daniel, Carole “Callie,” Angelo “Geo,” Patrick, and Ian.She is also lovingly remembered by her eleven great-grandchildren: Jonathan, Mahalee, Agnes, Eloise, Finlay, Coralie, Noble, Rhosa, Evan, Jason, and Samantha, with one more great-grandchild, Edgardo Joseph, soon to be born.Visitation will be held on Friday, February 13, 2026, from 4:00–8:00 p.m., with the Rosary and prayers for the dead recited at 6:00 p.m.Final viewing will take place on Saturday, February 14, 2026, from 12:30–1:00 p.m., followed by Mass from 1:00–2:00 p.m., officiated by Father Joshua Alvero, Hospital Chaplain, WLA VA Medical Center.All services will be held at San Fernando Mission Cemetery Chapel,11160 Stranwood Avenue, Mission Hills, California 91345.Burial will take place at the family plot, where Natividad will be interred alongside her beloved husband Amado and laid to rest beside her son Bernardino.

Natividad Sanchez Samson

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