Karli Samantha Nelson ( July 22, 1992 - January 26, 2025)

Sam Nelson, 32, of Princeton, WV passed away due to complications from stage IV breast cancer on January 26, 2025 after 7 years of defying the odds.  Born July 22, 1992 in Martinsville, VA, she was the daughter of David Walker Nelson, Sr. and Lisa Toler Nelson.

She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, William "Bill" and Norma Jean Toler (Ashford, WV), and paternal grandparents, Charles and Shirley Snodgrass (Racine, WV).

Left to celebrate her memory is her devoted husband of nearly 6 years, Wesley Samuel York, parents David and Lisa Nelson (Orange, VA), biological father Zane Snodgrass and wife Renee (Martinsville, VA), her siblings, Kyle Nelson (Mineral, VA), Hailey Snodgrass (Orange, VA), Hannah Snodgrass (Richmond, VA), step-siblings David Nelson, Jr. and wife Jamie (Jeffersonville, IN), Katelyn Nelson (Louisa, VA), Ashleigh Nelson (Gordonsville, VA), Shannen Nelson (Gordonsville, VA), Jacob Nelson (Charlottesville, VA), and Taylor Snodgrass (Greenville, NC), her most precious niece and nephew, Madison and Waylon Nelson, their mother, Samantha (Hanover, VA), her best friend, Elizabeth "Liz" Lipkovitz (Jacksonville, FL), dear friends Santana Strickland (Princeton, WV) Marcus Murrell (Princeton, WV), Reiley Simpkins (Princeton, WV), and Teresa Farley (Spanishburg, WV), her "Uncle" Charles Hunt (Charlottesville, VA), the best pup to ever live, Mason, her 4 cats, Zoey, Sebastian, Amelia, and Baby, many many grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins from her husband's family that loved her so much, in addition to innumerable friends, coworkers, and students.

Sam graduated from Albemarle High School in Charlottesville, VA in 2010. There grew her passion for teaching, cheerleading, theatre, and making pottery. After graduation, she attended Concord University in Athens, WV where she earned a BA in Elementary Education in 2014 and an MA in Special Education in 2020. She fell in love with the Princeton community, decided to make it home, and began teaching at Mercer County Schools starting in 2014, primarily in the English department at PikeView High School. Sam's influence was integral in the success of the PVHS cheerleading and theatre programs. She was involved in countless theatre productions, cheerleading competitions, camps, field trips, dances, sports games, and pep rallies. She also sponsored student council and was always willing to do anything she could to cultivate a positive and fun environment at PVHS.

In addition to this, Sam enjoyed waitressing at Macado's on the weekends in her early teaching career, working with the AmeriCorps Energy Express program in the summers, and contributing to the Concord University cheerleading program. She was actively involved in the Mercer County Education Association and served as chair of the PVHS Faculty Senate. She never hesitated to take on more responsibilities if she thought there was an opportunity to positively impact her community.

Sam believed that Disney World's label as "The Most Magical Place on Earth" was absolutely true and vacationed there as much as she possibly could. She loved to travel, visiting France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Italy, and Greece, not to mention many trips throughout the United States. She was a notorious foodie, especially when it came to Mexican and Asian cuisine. She loved to paint, craft pottery, and plant flowers. She enjoyed going on movie dates, watching trashy reality TV, and playing nostalgic video games.

Her memorial will be Sunday, February 16th from 2:00 to 6:00 pm at the Chuck Mathena Center in Princeton, WV.

There will be a memory box available for anyone wishing to leave letters, notes of comfort, or pictures as a gift to the family.

The family would like to extend special thanks to the staff of Princeton Community Hospital and her entire oncology team for all of the care and support that has been provided to her over the years. She loved you all.

Lastly, Samantha had tremendous passion for the Mercer County Animal Shelter and her wish would be for you to consider adopting an animal in her memory or to donate to the shelter in her name.