John Jeffrey Simpson

To John Simpson, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, he was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and he willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For John, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, he could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. John really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

His parents are Laura and John Simpson. John was raised in Sunland, California. Even as a child, John had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. He couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. He was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, he succeeded in entertaining his entire family.

Always a good playmate, John was easygoing and fun loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was, even during family squabbles. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, John managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. John was raised with one sibling, Cathy.

All of John's playful good humor carried over into his adulthood. He was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed him to be constantly on the go. As a result, John experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited him very well. He was a proud boy scout member. He took part in track, volleyball, and swimming.

For John, getting good grades in school came easy, he was gifted that way. He enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” John graduated from Verdugo Hills in 1977.

Johns courses revealed that his imagination could run free. He was viewed by many of his classmates as being a creative, artistic person. He loved to share his passion for fun with others. But for John, life was not a case of all play and no work. John relished the task of putting his imagination to work. He was able to discover new and different ways of answering problems and creating unusual and different solutions. John won first place in public speaking at Dale Carnegie.

The gift of being emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate made John very easy to approach. On July 13, 2003 John exchanged wedding vows with Marci Garcilazo in Big Bear. He was always sensitive to other people’s feelings, and that was especially true in marriage. Some of our most valued memories were skydiving, bungie jumping, paragliding, scubbadiving, and much more.

 At work, as in life, John was a real “people person.” He had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and his enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. When dealing with various projects and problems, John was an adaptable realist, using his common sense and trusting his experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. John's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around him to see John as an excellent problem solver. His primary occupation was automotive parts manager. He was employed for 30 years at various dealerships.

Living life in the fast lane suited John just fine. It is no surprise that he loved to travel and to visit new and different places. He was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. He was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included St Thomas, St Martin, Mexico, Key West, Hawaii, and Bahamas.

John was a lover of animals and cherished his pets, enjoying them as much as he enjoyed being around other people. He was the best dog dad ever, always showing affection with hugs and treats.

John passed away on March 30, 2023 at Providence Holy Cross. He is survived by his wife Marci, his mom Laura, his nephew Craig, and his nieces; Jenna, Holly, Angela, Brianna, Britney, Arlene, Destiny, Luna, and Denise. Services were held in Bell, CA.

John brought joy to all of those around him. He never had a mean bone in his body. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and his zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. John lived life to its fullest and made everyone around him happier just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile.