Sam (right) at WPUK 2020.
Our dear Sam.
Sam was a member of Sheffield ReSisters: Women of Steel, social media team member and admin of the ReSisters network
Sam was our funny, warm hearted, determined, friendly and passionate friend and sister in the fight to preserve Women’s Rights. She cared so much about all of the issues but wanted the world to be better for her beloved granddaughter. She cared about young girls and the harm to young lesbians very much. She didn’t want any girl to grow up thinking they were wrong for being who they are and not having their rights, whether that be to protect them from dangerous medical pathways or having safe spaces and opportunities-so she got involved with all sorts of cheeky campaigning as well as the daily raising awareness on our social media.
Sam never sought a platform or recognition for what she did and, as we all sent her messages to let her know how much we loved and appreciated her in the last few months, she reacted with typical modesty, saying we were over-egging the pudding of what she’d done, telling us:
“I’ve enjoyed tinkering around the edges, so thank you, women for that. I’ve had some amazing gifts and cards and I just wish I could send them some back with treble the love. I love my ReSisters more than anything and they’ve kept me alive. I mean it. So, thank you. Give them my love, all of them, every single one”
Sam was a wonderful friend and committed feminist and team member and we loved her very much. We miss you Sam.
Donations
Sam’s family have asked for donations in lieu of flowers, to the Charity Pancreatic Cancer IUK. If you would like to donate in Sam’s name, you can do so here: https://samanthacoleman.muchloved.com/Donate
Your thoughts.
Comments are open below if you’d like to share your memories of Sam, we would love to hear them, or if you have images you’d like to share, please email to admin@resistersunited.org.uk
Sam’s family also have a tribute website here, including some wonderful photos of Sam – you can upload your own photos there also: www.samanthacoleman.muchloved.com
I only physically met Samantha twice actually. In London for a feminism conference in 2019 and in Yorkshire for a weekend with a group of inspiring women but given the power of the digital world, I already felt I knew her inside out from long before that.
Through Resisters United, we messaged most days on fb messenger , discussing the group, the news of the day and both struggling with sleep on into the night 2, 3, 4am sharing links, thoughts and a passion for social justice.
So finally meeting her in person felt like I’d already known her years. She was easy to be with, down to earth and funny. I really enjoyed her company. She spoke not just about her beliefs but warmly about her family, her daughter and granddaughter and her life oop north.
I knew she was ill. She had been for ages and no one knew really how long she had. But she wore it so lightly and uncomplainingly. even when coming home from the hospital for the last time. We had some WhatsApp messaging where she was just so positive even though she must have been in so much pain and knew she didn’t have long.. such a ray of light.
I sent a message on new year’s eve and realise now she must have passed earlier the same day. True sadness to lose such a shining star of a woman. My heart is heavy. She is much missed.
Xxxxxx
I’ve met some amazing women through feminist activist and Sam was up there with the best of them.
Sam was a lovely mother like figure and activist sister to me. I found her warm, supportive, caring, positive, ballsy, smart, fun with a great sense of humour, dedicated, strong and selfless. It was an honour ‘admining’ with her and I really enjoyed and valued our many hours of late night messaging chats. I’m deeply sad that I knew her for so short a time, and was not able to spend more time with her in real life. R.I.P special Sam. ❤️❤️❤️
What an amazing woman who exuded warmth. Sam had such a strong sense of purpose and an incredible sense of humour which shone, even in her last days when she knew she didn’t have long.
We first met many years via a local discussion board called (surprisingly) Sheffield Forum. We were some lone voices in a sea of misogyny, first encountering one another on an anti-Hooters thread back in 2008.
Always funny, always humble, always self-deprecating, A proud mum and nanny, she spoke a lot about Freyja and Aspen.
I am so very sad.
Much loved. Much missed.
Go sister. xxxx
I am Sam’s husband – Bryan.
I’ve just read the lovely tribute to Sam in the second issue of ‘The Radical Notion’. I’ve also found the earlier tributes on Twitter etc very helpful.
Sam got a huge amount of her connections with radical feminists – including making a lot of new friends at a time when she knew she didn’t have much time left, and learning a lot about feminism via her new friends, webinars, meetings etc. Having a ‘new community’ at this stage of her life made such a big difference to her – really enriched the past few years for her. So – thank you to all of you – for the tributes and for adding so much to her life at such a difficult time.