Obituary of Deborah M. Simpson

Deborah Simpson of 407 Genesee St. passed away on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015 at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital in Williamsville, New York following a brief illness. Deb was born July 26, 1944 in Cleveland, Ohio, and she grew up in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. She earned a B.A. in English from Hiram College and an M.A. in English from Kent State University. She moved to Olean in 1970, joined the faculty of the Cattaraugus County Campus of Jamestown Community College in 1980, and became the full-time coordinator of its Learning Assistance Center in 1984. She continued in that position until her retirement in 2011. Deb found joy in the people she met on her thousands of walks to downtown Olean, in the passionate and precise use of language, and in the beauty of physical objects. Her toughness and kindness seemed to come partly from the cities of her origins, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. She adored Buffalo. She was deeply devoted to her students and a great supporter of artists she sought out, locally and in her travels. Any walk, any bus ride, any visit to a new gallery or thrift store could lead to a searching conversation and a new friendship. The sound and feel of the ocean centered and calmed her; a wickedly absurd joke could bring her to happy tears. She wrote profound and playful essays, loved making and arranging beautiful objects, and was always looking for the next gift that would delight someone in her family or wide circle of friends. A visitation will be held Friday, June 12th from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 13th at 10:00 a.m., with the family gathering an hour beforehand to welcome visitors. Both events will take place at the Letro-McIntosh-Spink Funeral Home, 646 East State St., Olean, NY. Deb was predeceased by her father, Wendell Milz of New Kensington, PA and her dear friend Karin M�nsson of Ystad, Sweden. She is survived by her husband, Richard H. Simpson of Olean; her mother Ruth Milz of New Kensington, PA; her sons Erik (Carolyn Jacobson) of Grinnell, IA and Thomas (Alexis) Simpson of Exeter, NH; her sister Cynthia (Charles) Yerrick of Morrisville, VT; her brother Paul of New Kensington, PA; and her three grandsons Peter, Blake, and Will. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Buffalo State program in Art Conservation at artconservation.buffalostate.edu/giving or to Western New York HomeCare & Hospice at www.homecare-hospice.org/donate.