Thomas Simpson

Thomas Wilbur Simpson, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, March 22, 2018, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center.

He was born Dec. 12, 1929, near Puxico, Missouri, to Edward Anderson and Mary Ann Elizabeth Simpson. He and Nelda Underwood married Aug. 8, 1953, at Bloomfield, Missouri.

He graduated from Puxico High School in 1947 and received his bachelor's degree from Southeast Missouri State University.

He served in the U.S. Army signal corps as a cryptographic specialist in the office of Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the early Korean War.

After college, he moved to St. Louis and then to Mount Carmel, Illinois, where he worked for Pacific Press and Shear Corp., until he resigned as vice president in 1978. He and Nelda purchased McCuiston Distributing Co., Inc. He sold the business in 1997 and retired to Cape Girardeau in 2003.

He was a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 239 in Mount Carmel, the Scottish Rite of IL, the Ainad Shriners of IL, and was a 50 year member of the Institute of Management Accounts. He was also a Kentucky Colonel.

While in Mount Carmel, he belonged to First Christian Church, serving several offices. He also served as president of the local school board and as Southern Illinois representative of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce. In Cape Girardeau, he was a member of Abbey Road Christian Church.

Survivors include his wife, Nelda Simpson of Cape Girardeau; two daughters, Judith L. Divan of San Juan Capistrano, California, and Jane S. (Ralph) Smith of Smyrna, Tennessee; son-in-law, David Vandenberg; four grandchildren, Paul E. Divan (Jennifer) of Des Moines, Iowa, Nicholas J. (Jennifer) Divan of St. Louis, Benjamin D. (Shelley Bryant) Smith of Portland, Oregon, and Jillian S. Smith of St. Louis; four stepgrandchildren, Bastiaan Vandenberg (Alyssa), Virginia Vandenberg, Nathaniel Vandenberg and Ari Vandenberg, all of California.

He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Jari Vandenberg; five brothers; and two sisters.

Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesday at Abbey Road Christian Church in Cape Girardeau.

Funeral will follow at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the church, with the Rev. Doug Jobe officiating. Burial will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield.

Memorial contributions may be given to Shriners Hospitals For Children or Abbey Road Christian Church Memorial Fund.

Online condolences may be made at www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.

Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.