Sam Schultz Obituary, Death – St. Catharines, ON – Samantha ‘Sam’ Elizabeth Lainey of Ottawa, Ontario, has sadly passed away unexpectedly leaving friends and family in a grievance. Sam was born January 4, 1993, at McMaster University Hospital to Beth (Klassen) and Richard Schulz. Her three older brothers, Adam (Sarah Pavan), Josh (Stacey Toews), and Zac, took her into the family with love.
Her extended family loved her very much, and they grew close by spending a lot of time with her at the Klassen family farm and the Schulz church camp Lagerplatz. Sam went to public school in Port Weller and high school in Eden. She went to The University of Waterloo to study Health Science as an undergraduate.
The time she spent at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre was her most important job. Here is where she began to study neuroscience and psychology. On the frisbee pitch in Ottawa, she also met her future husband, Justin Sheridan. In the end, her time at ROMH led her to get her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Western Ontario in 2022.
Sam loved playing hockey, soccer, and volleyball when he was a kid. She took that interest with her to Western, where she helped the Varsity Ultimate Frisbee team with her enthusiasm, team spirit, and leadership.
On this team, she realized that the new athletes were ten years younger than her and that she had been in school for a long time. Sam got the Scholar Athlete Award from the University of Western Ontario because she did well in both sports and school. She loved being outside and liked to go to the beach, backcountry camp, and go hiking.
She also liked to try new things and go on adventures. She had a lot of fun camping with her nephew Logan, niece Alexis, and nephew Oliver. She loved showing her friends who didn’t know much about the outdoors how much she loved it, and she always asked the people she cared about to join her on a new adventure.
Her last trip was when she hiked the 100 km Killarney loop while she was pregnant with her daughter Elizabeth. As the leader, coordinator, and caretaker of many groups, Sam was the glue that kept them together.
She put spending time with her friends and family at the top of her list. She valued connecting with people and making relationships more than anything else. She was very interested in starting her own clinical practice because she loved helping people and wanted to do more of it. She was happy and excited to start a family with Justin as she carried her daughter.
Sam would have made a great mother. Sam was an example for a lot of people, the center of her groups of friends, and the heart of her family. Everyone who knew her will miss her very much. At Central Community Church, 680 York Rd., Niagara-on-the-Lake, there will be a celebration of life and a time for people to say goodbye. Friday, January 6, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Life Celebration on January 7 at 10 a.m. Next will be a private burial. After the service, there will be a get-together at Central Community Church. Sam was a very realistic and sensible person who loved making a difference in her community. Instead of sending flowers, please give to the Canadian Mental Health Association in her name.