Samuel "Sam" Michael Eldershaw

Sam (Samuel) Michael Eldershaw, born in Truro, NS on June 18, 1986, peacefully passed on March 2, 2024, at the QEII Halifax Infirmary, surrounded by his family following a tragic motor vehicle accident.

A dedicated professional within the transportation industry, Sam was passionate about his career as a driver and instructor.

Remembered for his heart of gold, Sam leaves behind a legacy of kindness and compassion. Known for his unwavering dedication to helping others, Sam’s presence in the lives of those around him was truly remarkable.

Sam is survived by his beloved wife, Laura (Matthews) Eldershaw; his mother, Nancy (Arlen) Kennedy; siblings Amy (Matt) Wright, Eric (Amanda) Eldershaw, Josh (Mackenzie Bonn) Eldershaw; step-siblings Bobby, Kelly, and Ryan; loving in-laws Robert (Krista) Dempsey, Wayne (Dorothy) Matthews and siblings-in-law Dana, Jared, Cory, Ashley, Elizabeth, Michael. Additionally, he is remembered by his beloved pup, Reese, and numerous nieces and nephews whom he adored. Sam was predeceased by his father, Eric (Bud) Eldershaw, infant brother, Andrew Eldershaw, and stepsister, Aime Kennedy.

Sam's iconic companion, his toy poodle Reese, was a constant source of joy and humour in his life. Despite his towering stature, Sam's love for Reese was evident to all who knew him.

During the challenges of the pandemic, Sam discovered a new-found passion for craftsmanship, producing beautiful pieces such as charcuterie boards. His ability to build and repair anything, showcased in his home renovations, was a testament to his creativity and skill.

Recently approved to foster children, Sam and Laura welcomed their first child with open arms, displaying a natural talent for parenting. Sam’s excitement for this new chapter was clear as he eagerly planned projects, such as constructing a toy truck, to bring joy to their newest family member.

The void left by Sam's passing is profound, and his presence will be sorely missed. Sam’s memory will live forever in the hearts of those he touched, his thoughtful and generous spirit will remain as a guiding light.

A memorial service commemorating Sam's life will be conducted at J.A. Snow Funeral Home, 339 Lacewood Drive, Halifax, on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at 2:00 pm. In honour of Sam feel free to wear your bright colours.

Donations in memory of Sam can be directed to Special Olympics Nova Scotia.

Sam routinely donated blood throughout his life, as an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions to Canadian Blood Services would be appreciated by the family. Please visit give.blood.ca

Eulogy by Amy Wright

Not my will but thine LORD

We do not understand why Lord; but maybe that understanding is not for this life.

It was pretty typical to find Sam at someone’s home during his free time, with his little bag of tools taking something apart and fixing it, perhaps a dishwasher that the repair man said was unable to be fixed, or some computer problem that couldn’t be solved. He was always there for the heavy lifting, for the tasks that were too hard for one person and needed a second set of hands, and they were very large hands. You could ask Sam and he would say yeah, I will be up on Saturday to fix that, or move that, or whatever the job is, and he would be there without fail, and without complaint, to help you.

Sam knew a little bit about everything, and if he didn’t know he would research, learn, and tell you what you should do if, or tell you a little more about a diagnosis, or treatment, perhaps how to put something together, or take something apart. He wasn’t afraid to learn, or to share his knowledge with you, even when you didn’t ask! Sams knowledge seeking journey went deeper than our day-to-day random thoughts and questions in conversation; and can be seen more purposely in his life with Laura. There wasn’t a home improvement project/repair he was afraid of, or a new woodworking project, or a “manly” crafting session with wood or metal to learn about; but also working towards personal growth to help overcome any relationship hurdle Sam and Laura might encounter. Recent example of Sam working on things at home could be seen in a journal he was keeping, logging what was working, and not working, while getting to know their new foster child that came to them afraid of men so he could help this little boy learn to feel safe, and loved, in their home. And the mess that he left behind because he was trying his hand at crafting wooden toys, for their new house guest.

When Sam wasn’t helping family, or friends, or working on things at home, he may have been trying to improve his terrible golf game. Perhaps the purchase of new expensive clubs, or figuring out some trick so he didn’t hit the ball this year, and have it fly into the golf cart and release the parking brake, so the golf cart slides unmanned down and hill and crashes into the woods; or perhaps when his brother and friend were sitting in the golf cart and Sam hit the golf ball, it flew through the air into the golf cart where they were seated, and bounced all around them inside the Golf Cart but not hitting either one even once. He was still in the research stage of figuring out this one though.

Sam was the life of every party, if it was Halloween, he had a crazy costume, if it was Christmas, he had an ugly sweater, and a memorable gift, if it was Valentine’s Day, he did something sweet and thoughtful for Laura. If you wanted to have fun, you would make sure to invite Sam. He was always excited to show you the fun, and beauty in life, and make you the perfect cup of coffee! He was up for any adventures he would say yes, we can drive to New York, there’s nothing to it, and was the chauffeur for anyone who was nervous about the drive or didn’t know the area. Sam was always there to take on the things we would find sometimes seemingly impossible to accomplish. He loved to have fun.

And lastly Sam worked perhaps the hardest it seemed at times on his career. He always said yes, no matter the task. He worked the extra hours, and was always seeking new challenges, this can be seen in numerous ways:

• During his tenure with Purolator, he signed a job posting as a driver in Calgary, so him, and Laura packed their life into a car and moved across the country. Sam showed up for his new truck driving position, without the correct license. Purolator then trained and helped him obtain his Class 1. With his new Truck license in hand, Sams passion to master Trucking was born.

• Sam gained experience as a trucker, and combined his love for helping others, and sharing knowledge to become a Driving instructor. He again jumped into a brand-new roll and sought out the best ways to teach and guide his students to be successful in their new trucking career and was proud to share his passion for driving with them.

• In Sams current position with Fisher Transport special mention was made by the owner that during the wildfires, Sam without hesitation offered his house for accommodations if needed.

Sam was a kind, gentle, up for any adventure, hardworking, loving, funny, knowledgeable, giant man, and he is leaving a giant hole in many hearts.

And JESUS said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today, shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43)

Eulogy by Elizabeth Dempsey

Sam came into my life 15 years ago when he met my sister, Laura. Sam watched Mike and I grow up from being annoying teenagers to young adults.

The unconditional love Sam gave Laura is something to admire. Their marriage was special - they completed each other and worked hard to make a wonderful life. Sam always planned something special for Laura's birthday which normally ended in an annual trip to the casino. We would all go with $20, Sam would pick the slot machines to play, and Laura would get lucky and walk out with a couple hundred dollars. Sam would do anything for Laura. Most of us have heard how difficult it is to obtain Taylor Swift concert tickets. Sam made it his mission to get Laura 4 tickets to the show in Toronto this November. Being lucky enough to obtain a Ticketmaster code, Sam spent hours researching tips and tricks that others put on social media to be able to secure tickets once it was time. Sure enough, Sam was able to secure 4 tickets.

Sam and Laura loved spending time together and it did not always have to be anything special, just being together with Reese was enough. But I will say they also enjoyed fun adventures. I can hear Sam's voice now saying, "I like doing fun stuff". From their road trips with Nancy, to trying horse back riding, or adventures at the beach and lazy river floating, Sam rarely said no to any plans.

Sam was always there for everyone, no questions asked. Truly the kindest, most thoughtful, and caring guy. I am sure many people here can look around their home and point out things where Sam helped - from setting up smart light bulbs or doorbells, to hanging photos, to building furniture, Sam did it all.

When I think about Sam one word comes to mind - thoughtfulness. Sam tried his hardest to accommodate people and do extra for everyone. Sam put meaningful thought or research into gifts. At Christmas time if Sam had you as Secret Santa, you could count on it being a good one. Probably some tech or super cool item you have never heard of but turned out to be exciting or useful.

Sam was the Amazon king. He often had packages showing up. Some recent finds were an electronic ball thrower for Reese, a tool that cooked hot dogs from frozen over the stove top, and a toy piano for their foster child, which ended up being another fun toy for Reese as she would step on the keys to make noises - Sam found that amusing.

Sam knew something about everything. I still do not know how he could retain so much information. We were going on a family trip to Portugal this May. After Sam's passing, Laura discovered that Sam was learning Portuguese. Phrases such as "Do you speak English? I don't speak Portuguese", "My name is Sam", and most important "I would like coffee, please". This probably doesn't shock those that know Sam as he was always trying to learn new things and relate to others. I am sure Sam was waiting to surprise us all on the trip with these new phrases and see our reactions when he started speaking Portuguese.

Sam had the gift and ability to be able to talk to anyone. If he knew you for two minutes or two years, you would get the same chatty caring Sam. I remember when Laura, Sam and I used to go on long drives to the cottage, I would sit in the front seat where Sam would talk my ear off. I am sorry Sam for the times I ended up falling asleep in the passenger seat.

Sam was larger than life. His positive outlook and energizing nature touched so many of us here today. He was a mentor, confidant, and exceptional friend to everyone who had the pleasure of working or socializing with him.

I hope leaving today, Sam's legacy can be that we all try a little harder to be more like Sam. Don't sweat the small stuff. Be kind and thoughtful to others. Lend a helping hand. Smile, laugh, and be happy. Go on adventures, big or small. Always continue to learn, try new things, and do not be afraid to fail.

Sam, you were a big brother to Mike and I. We will always cherish the times we spent together, memories we made, and fun we had. Mike and I will love you forever.

Eulogy by Michael Dempsey

Some of you may not know that Sam was attending NSCC to further his education to advance his career, in hopes of having more time at home to spend with family. I would like to share with you some of the comments Sam’s teachers shared with our family.

“Sam was an excellent student academically. He had passed Sociology and was well on his way to completing Psychology and Academic Math. Every credit was at University entrance or post-secondary level. We were very confident that Sam would go on to achieve his Diploma and much more after that.

More than this, Sam was the kind of student that uplifts his teachers – engaged, generous, intellectually curious, and compassionate. His teachers have spoken about how Sam was unfailingly positive, respectful, bright, and upbeat. One expressed that Sam: “made an incredible impression. His kindness was evident in every interaction we shared, and he positively impacted the group with his thoughtful, curious presence. He was clearly a brilliant, beautiful person.”

In short, Sam was a pleasure to teach, and we miss him.

One of the privileges of being an educator is that students share some of their lives with you. And so, in return, I wanted to share something Sam wrote to one of his teachers:

“I’m not the hero, my partner is, she works at a daycare all day and takes care of our great guests at night. I work so much I don’t get to contribute as much as her.”

On behalf of Laura and Sam’s family, I’d like to thank Sam’s teachers for sharing these lovely words.

Sam was one of the hardest working people I knew. He worked long hours as a truck driver, and then when he finally made it home, he would continue to work until midnight on his schooling. Most people would complain about the long hours or brag about how hard they worked, but never Sam. He worked silently without telling anyone he was pursuing his diploma. Sam was always striving to improve and further his life, not for himself, but instead for his loved ones.

Sam had an appetite for knowledge. Whether it was taking classes, listening to podcasts, or watching YouTube videos, he was always learning. Even if most of the time you would respond “Sam how the heck do you know that”. One thing is for sure, our scope of knowledge is going to be much smaller now without Sam. He was always there to lend a helping hand because Sam knew something about everything. He had the knowledge to be able to talk to anyone about the topics that mattered most to them, in hopes of making them feel special. Which Sam always succeeded in doing.

You were so incredibly hard-working Sam! Always trying to improve and further yourself. Rest easy, I love you, Sam!