As the final days of 2025 were winding down, so too, was Sam Stevens.  On Jan. 2, 2026, she passed away in her home, dying much as she lived: feeling loved (and probably mildly exasperated) by all of her children.

Glenn, as she was formally known, was born on Aug. 11, 1938, the only child of Gerald and Germaine Philippon of Lewiston, Maine.  Eager to forge her own path, Sam left Lewiston upon her high school graduation, and went on the earn her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Maine at Orono.  From there, she joined the Army and was stationed in Alabama, where she achieved the rank of second lieutenant.  She could not have known it at the time, but this would mark the beginning of a lifetime of thoughtful and dedicated service to others.  

Upon completing her military service, Sam returned to Maine and worked briefly for the Bigelow Laboratory in Boothbay Harbor. It was there that she received the nickname “Sam,” after having been confused repeatedly for a colleague named Gwen.  During this time, Sam met Susan Stevens, who quickly became her dearest friend.  It was Susan who introduced Sam to her future husband, Jacob Arthur “Tunk” Stevens. Tunk and Sam married on July 3, 1967, and together they spent the next 22 years raising five children in their warm, busy, and loving home overlooking the Mill Pond in East Boothbay.

Given all that Sam managed and accomplished as a stay at home mother, it is remarkable that she found time to be a dutiful parishioner at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church, to register voters,to volunteer at the polls, to deliver food for Meals on Wheels, to serve as chairwoman of the town’s Board of Selectmen, and to volunteer with the Red Cross and the Friends of the Library.  In addition to the contributions made in these roles, Sam forged deep and lasting friendships at each point along the way, and she cherished them all.

Sam is survived by her daughter Melinda Stevens of Newcastle and East Boothbay; son Jacob Stevens IV and wife Donna Stevens, of Lewiston; daughter Abigail Stevens Gage and husband Dustin Gage, of Middleton, Wisconsin; daughter Octavia Stevens and husband Sebastian Cariddi, of Sebago, Maine, and daughter Georgianna Stevens and husband Jens Albrecht, of Southborough, Massachusetts, and many beloved grandchildren.

A gathering in Sam’s honor will be held in August, with further details to follow.  

As 2026 would have marked Sam’s 60th year of volunteering with the library, donations may be made to the Friends of the Library in lieu of flowers. 

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Hall Funeral Home of Boothbay. To extend a condolence or share a story with the Stevens family, please visit Sam’s Book of Memories at www.hallfuneralhomes.com