Mrs. Janet Morgan Sampson, of Lynwood, California, a wife, mother, grandmother, and lifelong educator, transitioned at age 80 on January 28, 2023, in Long Beach, California.

Janet's impactful life started uniquely as a twin on September 9, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois. Janet and Janise (twin) were born to the late Frances and Thomas Morgan. Janet's early childhood years were spent on Chicago's westside where she attended Jacob Beidler Elementary before the Morgan family moved to the south side, where one of her neighbors was Hall of Famer, Ernie "Mr. Cub" Banks.

After completing John Marshall High School, Janet knew there was a world to explore beyond the Chicago Loop and Lake Michigan, and with a bus ticket in hand boarded a coach for a nearly 1500-mile trek west to Las Cruces, New Mexico.

In the Land of Enchantment, Janet would enroll at New Mexico State University, where she would make university history and simultaneously leap 75 years of racial hurdles to become the first African American cheerleader in the Western Athletic Conference.

However, being a trailblazer was no 'crystal stair' for the young undergraduate, including the day a local man refused to drive the sole Black cheerleader in the homecoming parade. He may have refused to drive her, but Janet was unmoved by his bigotry and instead, cheered despite the injustice.

While leading sideline cheers for the Aggies, Janet met the captain of the football team, Lee Sampson. The dynamic and natural leader from Compton, California swept the young cheerleader off her feet. The two would marry during Janet's junior year of college. Following graduation, Janet moved to Canada to join Lee, who had been drafted by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. While living in Toronto, Janet and Lee welcomed their first child, Kevin.

After Lee's football career ended, Janet and her young family moved to Compton, where both she and Lee became actively involved in community organizations focused on rebuilding Watts following the riots of 1965, including volunteering with the March of Dimes. While rebuilding the community, Janet was building her family. In 1968, she and Lee welcomed a daughter, Audrey.

Four years later, Janet melded her work to improve the community with her passion for education, and with Lee's full support, launched Hickory Pine Pre-School. As owner and operator, Janet again made history as one of the first Montessori-focused schools in south Los Angeles County. Scores of children began their road to academic excellence through Janet's hands-on, quality child development programs.

By 1982, Janet shifted from early educator to public school education and joined Lynwood Unified School District as a teacher at Hosler Junior High School. Two years later, she joined the faculty of Lynwood High School in the English Department.

English, for Janet, was much more than this nation's dominant language, instead, she saw a mastery of written English as the gateway to personal and professional achievement. In her classes, Janet keenly balanced the classics, including Shakespeare, with contemporary and diverse authors like August Wilson, Amy Tan, and Alice Walker.

Janet's classes ranged from remedial English to Advanced Placement, but the perceived hierarchy of classes never shifted her commitment; every student was greeted by her boundless enthusiasm and an equal measure of tough love. As a testament to her dedication, Janet's former students now hold careers in law, politics, and medicine. One former student recently earned a Pulitzer Prize in photojournalism and in a published article credited "Mrs. Sampson's" tough love as the needed bridge to ascend from contemplating dropping out of high school to ultimately college graduate.

Janet's impact flowed beyond the spine of English novels for most students. Their fondest memories of Mrs. Sampson arguably were when she served as activities advisor. Janet was known for her extravagant proms, hosted in posh locations, and senior trips to tropical locales. She once took a group of 70 students to Honolulu for a senior trip, which like her experience many decades before, had been their first trip out of California.

Janet was also active with Girl Scouts, Pop Warner Football, and a member of Compton's First Christian Church for more than a half-century.

Following retirement, Janet became an active patron of the arts. Whether at the Pantages Theater, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, or the Mark Taper Forum, she never missed a Broadway production touring Los Angeles. Janet also became an avid collector of Black collectibles.

Janet maximized her retirement years by always being on the move. She was an active member of the Lynwood Teachers Alumni Association, The Red Hatters Society, and the National Congress for Negro Women.

Janet's family was her treasure. She was married to Lee for 56 years separated only by his death in 2019. Janet is survived by son Kevin (Semra), and daughter Audrey; brothers Thomas (Lillian) and Mark Morgan (Phyllis); sisters Jenise (Lamonte) and Sandra (Ira); and grandchildren Solomon, Samuel, and Wabi; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

The family will receive friends at a visitation at McKay South Bay Mortuary on 3918 Marine Avenue, Lawndale, CA, on February 15, 2023, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 pm within the Galleria Chapel of Inglewood Cemetery, 720 E Florence Avenue, Inglewood, CA, on Thursday, February 16, 2023.

A brief viewing is being hosted, in advance of funeral services from 12:30 pm - 1:00 pm.

In support of Janet's legacy as an educator, in lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that memorial contributions be made, in her name, to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). Approximately 70% of the students the UNCF supports are from households with serious financial need, 39% of them are first-generation college students carrying the hopes and dreams of their families on their shoulders. Donations can be made at www.uncf.org/donate

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