Nick Sampson

Of Uxbridge, 86, of 262 Millville Rd., founder of the Cocke'N Kettle Restaurant in Uxbridge, MA, died Thurs., Feb. 17 in his home. His wife of 48 years Marjorie T. (Regan) Sampson died March 25, 2003. He is survived by his children Paona M. Sampson, Colleen T. Sampson and Nicholas A. Sampson all of Uxbridge; 3 grandchildren Alexandra T. Cesaroni, Nikol E. Cesaroni and Steven J. Cesaroni; 2 brothers Alexander Sampsonis of Swampscott and Jimmy Sampsonis of FL; a sister Callie Bartosik of Danvers; and many nephews and nieces. He was brother of the late Irene Kriconis of Danvers, Mary Stratos of New York and Harry Sampsonis of FL. Mr. Sampson's interest in restaurants began at the age of 14, working at the North Shore Country Club in Peabody, where he and his family grew up. He worked at different restaurants until he went into the U.S. Army during WWII. He served as a cook in a base hospital in Richmond, VA, and was then sent to England. After the war ended in 1945 he returned home for several years and then traveled to Paris to fulfill his lifelong ambition of being a chef. In Paris he attended the renowned Cordon Bleu School for Cooking, where he sauteed and filleted with such people as Julia Childs. When he came back to the States he worked as a European Chef in the former Seascape House in Provincetown. He then went on to open the Continental Restaurant in Saugus with his brother Alex. Later, wanting to be on his own he bought the Marguery Inn in Ipswich where he and Marjorie had been married a few short years prior. He gained notoriety in the restaurant world after the national magazine "Cooking for Profit" did a piece on Mr. Sampson and the Inn, in it's November 1962 issue. After working at the Inn for a number of years he sold it only to open the first Cocke'N Kettle Restaurant in N. Scituate. Soon after that he came to Uxbridge to attend an auction. He fell in love with the quiet Blackstone Valley and the Town of Uxbridge. He ended up purchasing the restaurant in its entirety. He moved his family to Uxbridge where he resided for 33 years. During this time in Uxbridge he also started other restaurants; Sampson's in Hopkinton, MA, the Black Lantern in Keene, NH and the Sea'N Surf in E. Greenwich, RI. His other interests included singing, reading, and interior decorating. His funeral will be held Tues., Feb. 22 from the Tancrell-Jackman Funeral Home, 35 Snowling Rd. with a Service at 10 a.m. in St. Michael's Ukranian Orthodox Church, 74 Harris Ave., Woonsocket, RI. Burial will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery in Uxbridge. Calling hours at the funeral home are Mon., Feb. 21 from 4-7 p.m. An Orthodox Prayer Servivce will be held at 6:30 p.m. during the calling hours. Donations in Mr. Sampson's memory may be made to the Peoples First Food Pantry, 15 S. Main St., Uxbridge, MA 01569 or to UMass Memorial Hospice, 650 Lincoln St., Worcester, MA 01605.