Myles Sampson's business and philanthropic endeavors were guided by a belief instilled in him while he was growing up: The gifts that God has given should be returned to him.
Over the years, he supported cancer research and such organizations as the East Suburban YMCA, Redstone Highlands, Murrysville Rotary, Boy Scouts of America and World Vision.
Mr. Sampson, of Murrysville, Westmoreland County, president of Rimco Properties, died of cancer on Wednesday, March 7, 2007, at his home. He was 62.
In 2004, he established the Sampson Family Endowed Chair in Thoracic Surgical Oncology at UPMC, which supports cancer research.
As a real estate developer, Mr. Sampson was involved in the building of the Churchill Valley, University Park and Cloverleaf residential communities and the Monroeville Industrial Park.
Real estate developer Richard Kacin recalled his boyhood friend as someone who set the highest standards of quality in whatever development project he undertook.
Born and raised in Penn Hills, Mr. Sampson was one of two sons of real estate developer Orin Sampson and his wife, Twila Thompson Sampson.
While attending Plum High School, Mr. Sampson and his brother, Ben, worked on numerous building projects with their father. Orin Sampson had helped to build airstrips in Italy during World War II as a member of the Army Corps of Engineers.
In 1963, after graduation from high school, Mr. Sampson enrolled at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Union County, where he received a business degree.
In later years, as a member of Bucknell's board of trustees, Mr. Sampson established a scholarship fund to the school for students from Western Pennsylvania.
Like his father, Mr. Sampson entered the Corps of Engineers after graduation from Bucknell in 1967. He spent two years in Korea before returning to the family business.
"We enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping together," said Ben Sampson, the owner of the Sampson-Morris Group. "I even followed Myles and my father into the Army Corps of Engineers.
"Myles also was interested in environmental issues that affected our community," his brother said.
In 1974, Mr. Sampson married Faye Stahl, of Latrobe, whom he met while skiing at Seven Springs. She became his partner in many of his philanthropic endeavors.
"My parents, my sister, Kathy, and I worked as a team on many of my father's charitable commitments," said his daughter, Kristy Rodriguez.
"Dad was hands-on when it came to visiting the groups he supported. We traveled to Lima, Peru, as part of World Vision. Dad wanted to see firsthand what the organization was doing to overcome poverty and injustice in these poor regions of the world."
A devout Christian raised in the Presbyterian faith, Mr. Sampson served the Plum Creek United Presbyterian Church and most recently the Murrysville Presbyterian Church.
"Myles was always concerned about others," said the Rev. J. Charles MacPherson, pastor of Murrysville Presbyterian. "He was blessed and saw that as a responsibility to help others."
Mr. Sampson is survived by his wife, Faye Stahl Sampson; two daughters, Kristy Sampson Rodriguez, of Point Breeze, and Katherine Sampson, of Oregon; and a brother, Ben Sampson, of Murrysville.
Visitation will be from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today and Sunday at Jobe Funeral Home & Cremation Services (Monroeville/Plum Chapel), Beatty Road and Route 48, Monroeville.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday in Plum Creek Presbyterian Church. Private burial will be in Plum Creek Cemetery.
