William Tait Simpson II

William Tait (Bill) Simpson II, 78, of Lawrence, KS, passed away on Tuesday, October 21, 2024. Bill was born in Kansas City, KS on June 21, 1946, to William Tait and Vivian Margaret (Duffield) Simpson. He lived in Kansas City, KS and graduated from Wyandotte High School in 1964. While a teenager, Bill sometimes worked at the Kansas City Stockyards, where his father was a cattle broker. A proud veteran, Bill served in the U.S. Army Infantry stationed in Germany for three years from 1964 to 1967. While serving his country, he earned decorations as an expert in marksmanship, grenade launching, and infantry, and learned to enjoy warm German beer. He was a member of The American Legion for a number of years.

After his time in the service, Bill graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in education. A lifelong learner, he had a passion for teaching which led him to a career as an educator. Over many years, he taught history, social studies and driver education in the Kansas City area public schools, and he loved the challenges of educating the next generation. He owned a private driving school and worked with the Kansas City Rehabilitation Institute to train drivers with disabilities. One of his favorite jobs later in his career was working for Johnson County Community College as an educational assistant for students with disabilities. His personal educational pursuits included bartender certification, speed writing skills, and personal fitness trainer certification. He especially loved the Spanish language and spent many years taking Spanish classes in person and through independent study, including one in Puerto Rico that he greatly enjoyed. Another of his favorite memories was a trip he made to Cuba with special family members. He was an avid fitness enthusiast and remained physically active until shortly before his death. One of Bill’s greatest loves throughout his life was music. He skillfully played the piano, accordion, and harmonica by ear, and he loved performing with Karen’s brothers for family and friends. He gifted one niece with his first accordion and mentored and celebrated with her as she learned to play. His passion for music extended to ballroom dancing, which he especially enjoyed with his favorite dancing partner, Karen. Bill’s unique character and personality were endearing to all his family and friends. He was a wonderful family man -- quiet, humble, loving, and inspirational.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, brother Richard Charles Simpson, sister Marvel Colleen (Simpson) Myers, her husband Richard Thomas Myers, and nephew Richard Thomas Myers, Jr. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Karen Marie (Dobbs) Simpson, niece Linda Gayle (Myers) Gross and husband John Gross, nephew Patrick McCarthy Myers and wife Leslie Myers, great-niece Karen Elizabeth Gross and her husband Milo George, and two great-nephews -- Patrick McCarthy Myers, Jr. and his wife Collette, and William Thomas Myers and his wife Kaitlin. Bill is also survived by three great-great nephews -- Ayden, Liam and Owen – and by Karen’s family, who were very important to him.

Memorial services will be held at 1pm on Friday, October 25, 2024, at Chapel Hill-Butler Funeral Home, 701 N. 94 St., Kansas City, KS 66112 (ChapelHill-Butler.com), with a luncheon immediately thereafter. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a contribution in Bill’s name to Parkinson Foundation of the Heartland, 13451 Briar St., Ste. 202, Leawood, KS 66209 (https://www.parkinson.org/heartland), or to Tunnel2Towers (https://t2t.org/donate/)