OBITUARY: Cecil C. Simpson, 87, of Cedar Park dies July 13, 2014
Cecil C. Simpson, 87, of Cedar Park, Texas, passed away peacefully July 13, 2014. He was born Aug. 17, 1926, in Pelsor (Sand Gap), Ark., to Claude and Alice Simpson.
His family lived for a few years in Sand Gap, where Cecil and his brother, Vernon, and sisters, Bernice, Edith and Mary attended a one-room school house. They later moved to Placer, Calif., where Cecil graduated from Placer High School and Placer Junior College. He enjoyed playing basketball and football at Placer.
Cecil enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1944 while World War II was still raging. He trained as and became an airborne radio operator, traveling to many places around the world. While stationed at Ellington Air Force Base in Houston, he met Lavita Sikes, and they were married in 1953.
Cecil and Lavita had five children: Sheila, Randy, Donna, Rene and Michael. The family followed Cecil’s career to Washington state and Paris, France, before settling in Texas.
Cecil liked to tell the story of when, after being transferred from Moses Lake, Wash., to Paris, the family drove their Ford Station Wagon from Washington to California to visit family and then followed historic Route 66 to the East Coast so the family car could be shipped to France.
Cecil retired in San Antonio after 20 years in the Air Force. The family then moved to Houston, where he worked a few various odd jobs before becoming a parole officer for the state of Texas. Cecil retired as director of Parole Supervision at the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole in Austin. While working at BPP, Cecil graduated from Southwest Texas State University with a degree in criminal justice.
After retirement, Cecil enjoyed watching college sports and was an avid fan of the Arkansas Razorbacks. He also enjoyed reading and subscribed to many newspapers and magazines.
Cecil was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Vernon; sisters Mary and Bernice; first wife, Lavita; and second wife, Riley.
Cecil is survived by his sister Edith; children, Sheila Gandy and husband Harold of Houston, Randy Simpson and wife Wanda of Llano, Donna Shull and husband Thomas of Marble Falls, Rene Ferguson and husband Tim of Leander and Michael Simpson and wife Vickie of Mertzon; grandchildren, Rhonda Carrell and husband Steve, April Seale and husband Melvin, Chris Simpson, Lisa Simpson Jackson and partner Rhonda Jackson, Heather Dalton and husband Clay, John Shuford and wife Crystal, Steven Shull and wife Jan, Misty Hernandez and husband Adam, Brandon Ferguson and wife Bethany, Matthew Ferguson and Amanda Simpson; and 21 great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers include grandsons Chris Simpson, John Shuford, Steven Shull, Brandon Ferguson and Matthew Ferguson and grandson-in-law Adam Hernandez.
A funeral service is 11 a.m. July 18 at Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, 1805 U.S. 281 North in Marble Falls, (830) 693-4373. Interment will follow at Lakeland Hills Memorial Park.
The family wishes to thank everyone for your prayers and support and for joining us in this time of remembering Cecil.
The family also wishes to thank the staff at Cedar Ridge Alzheimer’s Care Center for the care they provided for Cecil. Special thanks go to Mary Smith of Gentiva Hospice for the loving care she gave to Cecil.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Cecil Simpson may be made to the Alzheimer’s Organization at www.alz.org.