By BRIAN WALKER

Staff Writer

Whether she was climbing, playing sports or mentoring her students, Samantha Ramsay kept her eyes on reaching new heights and helped others get there.

The 41-year-old mother of two, who excelled in volleyball and basketball at Coeur d'Alene High before playing volleyball at Penn State and Washington State, died on July 30 when she was struck by lightning near the summit of the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps.

A celebration of Ramsay's life will be held at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 1036 W. A St., in Moscow on Saturday, Aug. 19 at 11 a.m. A light lunch will follow in the fellowship hall.

"She was larger than life, one of the most outgoing people I've ever known," said longtime friend Andrea Sadler, who went to middle and high school with Ramsay and played volleyball with her at CHS.

The death of the assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Idaho came just five days before the first anniversary of the death of her husband, former Seattle Mariners and Washington State pitcher Rob Ramsay, who died of brain cancer.

The couple is survived by sons Ryan, 12, and Reidar, 9.

"They were the pinnacle of her life," Sadler said.

Ramsay always cheered on those around her, said Sadler.

"She always helped you believe you could do anything," Sadler said. "She made you feel great about yourself and believe that you could accomplish goals. She taught me to grab each day of life and enjoy it."

Sadler and Ramsay climbed Mount Kilamanjaro in Africa together in June.

"I never thought I could do something like that, but she was all about that it was a great experience for us that we could accomplish together," Sadler said.

When the two ran races together, Ramsay would thank volunteers on the course.

"She was a positive force for everyone," Sadler said.

SeAnne Safaii-Waite, who also teaches nutrition at UI and was a close friend of Ramsay's, said she was an amazing mentor to students.

"She always took time for her students and set the bar really high," said Safaii-Waite, adding she and Ramsay were colleagues at UI's Coeur d'Alene center. "She was the backbone and inspiration behind our graduate program. It really excelled because of her research."

Ramsay's research included childhood eating behaviors on an international scale.

"She was able to take her experience and bring it into the classroom for the students," Safaii-Waite said.

Ramsay, who taught at UI since 2010, lived what she taught in terms of staying in shape and healthy eating habits, Safaii-Waite said.

"We trained together for the Coeur d'Alene Triathlon to inspire students to walk the walk of nutrition and fitness," Safaii-Waite said. "Her legacy is her positivity and inspiration to her students and others."

Kathleen Sayler, who taught at Coeur d'Alene High and whose daughter played high school sports with Ramsay, said Ramsay shined in activities, in the classroom and around people.

"She was a super athlete, but more than that, she was a very cheerful and gracious person," Sayler said.

Sayler said she remembers when Ramsay was a little girl in a musical at First Presbyterian Church.

"She did everything and she did it all with gusto," Sayler said.

The bizarre scenario of the Ramsays' deaths occurring nearly one year apart is unconscionable, Sayler said.

"Our hearts ache for the boys and the whole family," she said.