The quiet town of Medford Lakes, New Jersey, is grieving the sudden loss of one of its youngest and most beloved residents.
Samantha Jean Singh, known to nearly everyone as “Sam,” passed away on March 6, 2026, at just 15 years old.
Her death has shaken the close-knit community, drawing an outpouring of love and condolences from neighbors, classmates, and families across the region.
Sam was born on July 13, 2010, in Mount Holly, NJ, to Christina Nye and Victor Singh.
She grew up in Medford Lakes and was a Sophomore at Shawnee High School in Medford, where she had big dreams of one day pursuing a career in cosmetology.
Friends and family remember her as a girl full of energy, creativity, and warmth, someone who could light up a room without even trying.
Those who knew Sam described her as a true original. She loved listening to music and spent hours sketching and drawing. She was passionate about makeup and fashion, always experimenting with new looks and styles.
She cheered for her school, loved the thrill of scary movies and roller coasters, and spent as many summer days as she could at the beach or biking through the neighborhood with friends.
She adored her cat, Toulouse, and her favorite colors, red and teal, seemed to perfectly reflect her bold and bright personality. Even her favorite number, 13, carried meaning as her birthday fell on the 13th.
A funeral Mass was held on March 14, 2026, at Cathedral of the Woods in Medford Lakes, where Reverend Keith Reed officiated. Hundreds gathered to say goodbye, many arriving early for the visitation that preceded the service.
The tribute wall set up in her honor received more than 115 messages from people whose lives she had touched. At least 70 memorial trees have been planted in her name, a living testament to how deeply she was loved.
Sam is survived by her mother, Christina Nye, her father Victor Singh, her brother Logan, her sister Isabella, and her grandparents Carol Nye and John and Parkash Singh. A wide circle of aunts, uncles, and cousins also mourned her passing.
Her family took a moment in her obituary to express gratitude to the First Responders of Medford Township and the Medford Lakes Police Department, as well as the doctors, nurses, and staff at Cooper University Hospital’s Trauma Center and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
The loss of a child is something no parent or community is ever prepared for. In Medford Lakes, people are still processing what it means to live without Sam’s laugh, her creativity, and her spirit.
But those who loved her are holding onto the words her family shared: “The heavenly distance between us now does not change the power of our love.”
Sam Singh was 15 years old. She mattered deeply, and she will not be forgotten.
