Charles Granville Simpson, Jr.

Charles Granville Simpson passed away peacefully in Ocoee, FL on September 18, 2024 with family by his side. He was born on February 13, 1933 and grew up in Glen Rock, PA, a small railroad town. His father worked for the railroad and as a little boy Charlie enjoyed accompanying his dad on trips along the railroad to inspect the tracks. He also enjoyed traveling on the railroad with his parents in the 1930s and ‘40s to places such as New York City, Washington, D.C., and Miami. He lost his father in a tragic accident when he was 15. This led him to become more spiritual and, eventually, to delivering Sunday school and church sermons to cope with the grief.

Charlie graduated valedictorian of his Glenrock High School class. He worked on the Pennsylvania Railroad for a short time until attending Penn State University and earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1955. In 1956 to 1957 he attended MIT but left to begin a career at General Electric and raise a family in Liverpool, NY. He earned a master’s degree in mathematics from Syracuse University in 1965.

He was introduced to his beloved wife Hazel JoAnn Black in 1956 by a couple who knew them both. After a brief courtship, predominantly by mail, they married in December 1956 in Alexandria, VA. Charlie and JoAnn were long-time residents of Liverpool, where they raised their four children. He worked for many years in the sonar and radar divisions at General Electric, Martin Marietta, and Lockhead Martin. Charlie worked on, among other things, sonar and combat systems for naval submarines. His work with the military took him to such places as San Diego and White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. He also continued to serve as a part-time minister into the early 1970s, delivering sermons at Presbyterian churches throughout Central New York.

In retirement, Charlie and JoAnn enjoyed traveling to such places as England, France, Germany, the Panama Canal, Alaska, New Zealand, and Australia. In 1997, they purchased a condominium on Sanibel Island, FL, where they lived during the winters. Charlie was dedicated to working with the residents of his homeowners’ association to improve their community, serving as president of the association until 2005 when they became full-time residents of Ocoee, FL to be near their youngest grandchild.

Charlie was a devoted husband and father and was dedicated to taking care of his wife, to whom he was married for 67 years, for the last 5 years of her life when she was bed ridden. JoAnn pre-deceased Charlie by six months. The loss was devasting to him. Charlie is survived by his daughters Jeryl Simpson (Bill Leahey Jr) and Linda (Geordie) Magee, his sons Gregory (Suzanne) Simpson and Brian Simpson (Annaliese Cassarino). He is also survived by his grandchildren Amanda (Brian) Carpenter, Kaitlin Magee, and Caden Simpson.

A special thanks to all the caregivers and staff at Inspired Living in Ocoee, and to the nurses and home health aides at Gentiva Hospice.

Arrangements for cremation have been entrusted to Baldwin Fairchild Funeral Home in Winter Garden. A celebration of Charlie’s and JoAnn’s lives will be held at a later date.