August 11, 1926 - January 8, 2021
Mildred Lucille Simpson was born on Thursday, August 11, 1926 in Cumberland B.C. She died on Friday, Jan 8th, 2021 in Nanaimo.
She was predeceased by her Father, Russell Hilliard Hicks, her mother, Edyth Hicks, her husband Archie Simpson, son Buddy Simpson, and great granddaughter Jessie Simpson.
She leaves behind her sons Russell (Frieda), Terry (Barbara), Grant (Jonesy) and Daughter Sandy (Ron), 13 grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren, along with many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
Growing up, one of her cousins tried to pronounce her name and it came out 'Mib', and for the next 94 years that's who she was. Her father, an RCMP officer, died three months after she was born and as a result was raised by her mother and many aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins. She grew up on the ocean in Union Bay (which she always called the 'chuck') and remained a true island girl for the rest of her life.
Her mother was the Union Bay Post Mistress and so Mib grew up sorting mail and talking to the people who she said she could identify by the sound of the footsteps coming up the Post Office stairs. She went to college and studied business administration and worked for a mining company until she met Archie Simpson, whom she married on October 5th, 1946.
She loved animals as much as she loved children (who still joke that the children were second), and before long the Simpson household contained five children, four dogs, three cats, fourteen gerbils and a monkey. She often joked about her circus. She loved to dance and she loved camping. Some of the happiest early memories for all of us includes a tent, a coleman stove, a station wagon and a campfire.
Driving kids back and forth between lessons, games and appointments, sewing costumes, occupied most every day. But on Friday, when the work week was done, Arch and Mib would head out for a night of dancing, laughing it up with good friends, good food and good cheer. Volunteering time to work with 256 Legion, and of course the NDP.
She had an encyclopedic knowledge of family history, as well as a host of other topics. She was artistic and creative, making and mending clothes, making quilts, knitting sweaters and even warm uncomfortable socks, which is why all the Simpson kids walked a little funny.
Any day of the week you could walk into Mom and Dads house and hear the hi-fi blaring out Strauss Waltzes, Glen Miller, Harry Lauder or Louis Armstrong. She loved Musicals and Comedy and knew the art of various painters.
She was well travelled and loved visiting Europe, the UK, Hawaii, Cuba, Mexico and was up for an adventure any day. Her love, her spirit and her humour will be missed by us all.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.