John Taylor Simpson

John was born on August 29, 1929, in Chicago, the son of John and Maud Barratt Simpson. He married Theresa Laverne Ruth on September 19, 1955, in Chicago, IL. She preceded him in death on June 17, 1985. He later met Lori Bennett, and they married on September 5, 1992, in Springfield, IL. She preceded him in death on August 2, 2018.

John graduated from Tilden Tech High School in Chicago in 1947. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy from 1951 to 1953, and then earned his bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Illinois in 1957. He retired from Illinois Bell Telephone Company, where he worked for over 30 years. He was a member of Fit Club and Telephone Pickers, and served as a Red Coat volunteer at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield. John greatly enjoyed fishing, hunting, and spending time with family and friends at his cabin in Hayward, WI.

He is survived by his children, John “Jack” T. (Lisa) Simpson of Cascade, MD and Jill (Ken) Ortiz of Gloucester, MA; step-children, Scott (Annette) Bennett of Springfield, IL, Debra (Cliff) Chapman of Bolingbrook, IL, Sandra Delfs of Palatine, IL, and Sheila (Noel) Hatcher of Minneapolis, MN; siblings, Carol Padron of Lombard, IL and Edward Kapp of Sidney, IL; grandchildren, Joshua (Rachel) Ortiz and Andraya Ortiz; step-grandchildren, Rachel (Ian) Swanson, Morgan (Brian) Lesiewicz, Brandon Delfs, Dawn Bennett, Denise Bennett, and Danielle Bennett; and several nieces and nephews.

A graveside ceremony will be held at Camp Butler National Cemetery at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, October 25, 2019, with Celebrant Judy Woerner officiating. Military honors provided by the Interveterans Burial Detail of Sangamon County.

The families invite guests to a Celebration of Life for John and Lori to be held at the Firefighters Postal Lake Club, 940 West Lake Drive, Springfield, IL, from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. on Friday, October 25, 2019.

Should friends desire, contributions may be sent to the Spider Chain of Lakes Association, P.O. Box 1082, Hayward, WI 54843; E-mail at [email protected]; Web page: https://spiderchainoflakes.org/Donate.

The family of John T. Simpson is being served by Butler Funeral Home-Springfield, 900 S. 6th St., Springfield, IL.