SAMPSELLE, Anna Bob Rich died April 16, 2006

NEWPORT NEWS - Anna Bob Rich Sampselle died Easter morning, April 16, 2006, one day after her 90th birthday and seven years after her husband, James Vernon Sampselle, Jr., who died on Good Friday, 1999. Anna Bob was born in Huntington, W.Va. to Anna Maria Gleaves and John Robert Rich. She was a Peninsula resident for 49 years. Anna Bob graduated from the Emergency Hospital School of Nursing, in Washington, D.C., as a registered nurse, was later the superintendent of nurses for the civilian medical division of the War Department at the Pentagon during World War II. During her nursing career, she served as a private duty nurse to Andrew Mellon, accompanying him on his private railroad car to his Southhampton summer home on Long Island, N.Y.; Mrs. John L. Lewis, caring for her in 12 hour shifts while Mrs. Lewis' husband was fighting for the 8 hour work day; and Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Anna Bob was always involved in her three daughters' activities. She was a Girl Scout leader, Sunday and Vacation Bible School teacher and president of the Hilton Elementary School PTA. Sewing clothes for herself and her children (including one daughter's wedding dress and another daughter's trousseau), knitting, covering shoes and making hats consumed much of her time as she raised her family. Later she studied Japanese embroidery advancing through the 10 levels of technique and winning several first place prizes and best of show for her work at the state level in needlework shows. Hidenwood Presbyterian Church was a main focus of her life as she served in every capacity of the Women of the Church from the local level, through the district level, as Synodical president and up to the General Assembly level. She also served as an elder of the church and was on the search committee for a new minister several years ago. Anna Bob was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the James River Garden Club, the Hilton Village Women's Club, the Bridge Center, the Red Hat Society, the Japanese Embroidery Guild and the Home Dem club. She was an enumerator for the 1960 census and a Welcome Wagon lady for new babies. The last few years, Anna Bob spent several days a week playing bridge to keep her mind sharp. She participated regularly in bridge tournaments, including one three weeks before her death, with the goal of becoming a bridge life master. She lacked just a few points out of the three hundred required to obtain this goal. Survivors include three daughters, Alice Hix and husband, Al of Snellville, Ga., Mary Trude and husband, Mike of New Bern, N.C., and Lynn Parlett and husband, Robert of Hayes; five grandchildren, Marsha Brown Smith and husband, Rob of Smithfield, Todd Brown and wife, Tracy of Hayes, Anna Hix of Snelville, and Robyn and Jay Parlett of Hayes; and two great-grandchildren, Gage Brown and Carson Smith. A memorial service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday, April 21, 2006 at Hidenwood Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hidenwood Presbyterian Church, 414 Hiden Blvd., Newport News, VA 23606. Peninsula Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Published in the Daily Press from 4/17/2006 - 4/20/2006.

Anna Bob was the daughter of Anna Maria Gleaves Rich and the granddaughter of Charles Wythe Gleaves.