Tributes paid to the Former Divisional Commander of Scarborough Fire Services who has died aged 86

Mr Simpson of Pasture Lane, Seamer, who lived with his wife Gwen and daugher Ann for the past 43 years, died peacefully in Scarborough Hospital surrounded by family and friends.

Mr Simpson moved to Seamer in 1979 to take up the role of divisional commander at Scarborough Fire Station.He and his wife Gwen joined Scarborough and District Mencap when they moved to Scarborough from Northallerton, where they had both been actively involved with Northallerton Mencap, ensuring that their daughter, Ann, who has Downs, had an active and varied life.Mr Simpson soon became the Membership Secretary and both he and Gwen joined the Executive Committee.

He was elected Chairman in 1983 – a very important time for Mencap as the Committee had decided to buy the building, Brookleigh, which meant lots of money was needed!

This was also the year when the parent group formed a Fundraising Committee and several of those members are still actively fundraising now .. 40 years later, in the Mencap Charity Shop!.Mr and Mrs Simpson joined in everything - committee meetings, task forces, coffee mornings, jumble sales, summer fairs and table-top sales and within one year, the Fundraising Committee had raised £50,000.

Yet, Mr Simpson still carried on asking for the £5 membership fee, and also asked for contributions of photos and activity news for the regular Newsletters for Parents and for the Annual Report which he wrote and which has enabled Mencap to have a record of those busy and active years.In addition to all the above, Mr Simpson knew the importance of other issues facing people with a learning disability, including housing, employment and advocacy.

With the support of the Council for Voluntary Service, Mr Simpson ensured that Mencap took a lead in developing Basics (now Basics Plus @ Betton Farm), Special Needs Housing Trust (now Wilf Ward) and Advocacy Alliance.

It is a tribute to Mr Simpson’s foresight and leadership that those services have grown and today provide many people with a learning disability with supported housing and supported employment and ensures their voices are heard and their needs are met.

Mr Simpson remained a member of the Executive Committee for many years and was a Trustee until recently.

He gave sound guidance and could be trusted to offer support when needed.

Mr Simpson stayed as a Trustee during the process of our organisation becoming a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and Mencap are indebted to him for his constancy and dedication to people with a learning disability.It was clear that Mr Simpson was a carer who cared about people, whether that was family or people in the community, and Mencap say they are very fortunate to have had Mr Simpson, and to continue to have Mrs Simpson, in their Mencap family.Mr Simpson retired from the fire service in 1987 and decided on a more leisurely life, caravanning had always been a big passion so he embarked on several extended trips around Europe with wife, Gwen and daughter Ann, eventually taking up a job as wardens on a Eurocamp site in Samour in France.Mr Simpson was a keen runner and ran several marathons including London and a midnight run in Tromso, Norway.

His sporting genes must have passed to his grand children as both Nicola and Joanne Jackson were breaking records as international swimmers.

Mr Simpson followed them closely and was rewarded for his efforts by attending Olympic games in both Athens and London.

Caravanning remained a big part of his life until as recently as a year ago.Mr Simpson’s extended family now includes three children, four grand-children and six great grand- children.His wife Gwen and daughter Ann still live in the town they made their home 43 years ago

Mr Simpson’s funeral will take place at 12pm on Wednesday, April 5 at Woodlands Crematorium, where, calls permitting, two fire engines will also attend to create a guard of honour.

Donations if desired to Scarborough and District Mencap. All enquiries B Bernard and Sons Funeral Directors.