Jonathan Keith Alan Samson

1981 - 2025

Jonathan Keith Alan Samson, 43, of Huntsville, AL, passed away peacefully on May 5, 2025. He was born on October 29, 1981 to Bruce Allen Samson and Marie Annette (Johnsen) Samson. Jon was a 2000 graduate of Three Forks (MT) High School. He received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Montana State University (Bozeman) and his master's degree in public policy from George Mason University (Fairfax, VA). After graduating from MSU, Jon left Montana for a career in Washington, D.C. He was an intern for the National Pork Producers Council, Assistant to the Staff Director for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee (and Legislative Aide to Senator Max Baucus), and Director of Public Policy for the Agricultural Retailers Association. In 2011, he joined the American Trucking Associations (ATA) as Executive Director for the Agriculture and Food Transporters Conference (AFTC), where, among other duties, he was a lobbyist, supporting not only the trucking community, but also the safe handling and transport of food commodities and live animals. He was promoted to Vice President in 2021 and remained with ATA until his death. Jon was an articulate and composed spokesperson with a passion for the causes he supported. He was asked to speak on behalf of AFTC and ATA across the country, at conferences and colleges, and had the honor of also testifying in front of Congress and the House of Agriculture Committee in 2021.

Jon spent his childhood in Montana. He had a wide social circle and a vast array of friends. He cherished each and every one who came into his life growing up in Three Forks. Jon was not only socially gregarious but also a dedicated athlete. He was a three-sport athlete all four years in high school and earned many awards in football, basketball, and track. Despite his smaller stature, he was a force to be reckoned with. The one word most often used to describe Jon was "tenacious." He received "Male Athlete of the Year" in 2000, was active in 4-H, and was baptized and confirmed in the Methodist faith.

Jon, along with his five siblings, mother, and father, worked long, hard hours as a team on the family three hundred sow, farrow to finish, hog operation. His father often reminded them, "If we don't do the work, it won't get done." It was a commitment and a lifestyle that the family took seriously, and was, in part, what led Jon to realize that in order to make a larger impact on the agricultural community, he had to speak to a wider audience and advocate for the agricultural community on a larger stage. This is what ultimately determined his career path. He was very proud of his upbringing and would already refer to those days fondly and how they shaped who he was, both at home, and in his career.

Jon married Patience Melanie Heath (of Belgrade, MT) in 2006. They had two children, Alena Faith and August Leo. Jon and Patience divorced in 2021 but lovingly co-parented their children before and after separating. Jon's most beloved treasures were his children. His adult life was made complete with them, and he never stopped talking about them or making sure his world revolved around them. He coached both from very young ages in various sports, but most lovingly in basketball, the sport that brought Jon, Alena, and August closest together. They could be caught many evenings after games and practices were over, still out in the driveway working on the basics and laughing with each other over a game of horse. If he wasn't coaching them, he was driving them to games and matches throughout VA, AL, TN, GA, and LA. He was so incredibly proud of not just their athletic gifts and how hard they worked, but who both children were with each other, their family, their friends, their coaches, and at school - their smiles were his world. They will never forget his hugs, his contagious giggle/laugh, his absurd amount of sports knowledge, his loud but loving cheering/coaching from the sidelines, and how much he loved them. The family traveled at every opportunity, and they rarely missed a stop at a golf course or Top Gold, a swimming pool, or body of water, be it a lake or the ocean. Dollywood and Disneyworld were among their favorite destinations, and the family will hold thousands of amazing memories in their hearts from all of their travel, to include what may have been the most special: purchasing a brand new 35-foot travel trailer during COVID and spending 52 days traveling all over the southeast, having many adventures together before deciding to move to Alabama in 2020.

Jon is survived by his children, Alena and August. He is also survived by his mother, Marie, and his five siblings: William (Monica) Samson, Anna Marie (Rocky) Forseth, Scott (Luka) Samson, Elizabeth Samson, and Emily Samson. His nephews and nieces include: Robert (Molly) Samson, Natalie and Nolan Samson, Oliver, and Joslynn Forseth, and Lynn Marie Samson, as well as many loving aunts and uncles and cousins. Jon will be missed by many.

A Celebration to honor Jon's Life will be held on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at 2:00 P.M. at 215 Deer Path in Bozeman, MT.

Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com