Wesley William Samsel 75, of Elim Park in Cheshire, CT, beloved husband of 58 years to Jo Anne (Melhorn) Samsel, passed away peacefully at Connecticut Hospice on Wednesday, October 16, 2013 after a hard fought battle with metastatic brain cancer. He was born October 27, 1937 in Harrisburg, PA to William Wesley and Gladys Ruth (Kline) Samsel.

Along with his wife Jo, Wes is survived by his children Scott and Sue Samsel of Bristol, Bob and Dawn Samsel of Beverly, MA, Jena and Kenny Doolittle of Terryville. He is also survived by his grandchildren Kyle and Iwona, Chrissy and Mike, Bill and Emily, Kimberly and Mike, and Kristofer, and his great-grandchildren Rachel, Olivia, Violet, and Kahliana.

Wes graduated in 1955 from Milton Hershey School. He and Jo married in the same year. He was an Army veteran who served in Germany and the US from 1958 until 1964.

The family moved to Bristol, CT in the 1962 when Wes began working at the NDH division of GM. During the span of his career, Wes worked as a machinist, advancing to a supervisory position and in 1990, Wes and Jo moved to Sandusky, Ohio were he retired after more than 29 years with GM. After retirement Wes took classes in computer aided drafting and design. In 1995 he and Jo moved back to Pennsylvania to be near their parents and siblings. It is there that Wes became an instructor of Mastercam CADD and CNC software for a local distributor.

After being diagnosed and treated for throat and lung cancer, a decision was made to move Wes and Jo back to CT to be nearer to their children. A dedicated Christian, Wes used his God given abilities often and in numerous and diverse ways. He was a perennial handy man with a wide range of skills and a “go to” guy for family and friends. An active member in the churches he attended and the communities in which he lived, Wes shared his talents of teaching, acting and by lifting his beautiful voice in song.

The family would like to thank all of the healthcare providers who contributed to his care and comfort throughout his battle with cancer. There will be no calling hours and interment will be at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or a charity of the donor’s choice. Published in Patriot-News on Oct. 27, 2013