Dr. Adelaide W. Simpson

The eldest of five children, Adelaide Olive Winfree was born on April 25, 1945 in Philadelphia, PA, to the late Listervelt S. Winfree, M.D., and Spurgeon Olive Howard Winfree. She was preceded in death by her sister Adrienne.

Adelaide spent her formative years in Philadelphia and graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Girls in 1962. She began her higher education at Wheaton College in Massachusetts, where she earned a B.A. in French in 1966. She went on to attend Bank Street College in New York, receiving her Masters in Education in 1971. Following in her mother’s footsteps as an educator, she taught for several years in Connecticut and Washington, D.C. before moving to the Richmond area to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University, which she completed in 1983.

While pursuing her doctoral studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, she received a trainee award from the National Institutes of Mental Health and a fellowship from the American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship Program. Adelaide was also a grant research associate and associate project director with the Center for Improving Teaching Effectiveness (CITE) for several years.

In 1970, Adelaide married her former husband, Lorenzo Simpson. They were overjoyed to welcome their son, Sean, in 1980. While they both went on to remarry, they remained in touch throughout their lives. After dating for some time, Adelaide married Dennis Winston in 2002, who was by her side for the past thirty years.

Dr. Simpson was a distinguished and highly respected clinical psychologist who worked with individuals and families for 36 years–one of the longest serving African-American clinical psychologists in private practice in the Richmond area. She served as a clinical supervisor and coordinator for Henrico Area Mental Health Services before going into private practice with Medical and Counseling Associates, now Zoe Therapy Services.

An advocate for diversity and social justice, she was a consultant with VISIONS, Inc., and other various organizations on multicultural and team building issues. She did numerous professional presentations on mental health and educational topics, and also published articles on race and gender. She was a graduate of the Leadership Metro Program, and was recognized as one of the top psychologists in the Richmond area in 2017. During her career she served as a board member for several organizations, including the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority and the Richmond Psychological Association.

She was active in numerous professional, social, educational and community organizations. Her professional affiliations included The American Psychological Association, the Virginia Psychological Association, the Association of Black Psychologists, and the American Association of Behavior Therapists. Her involvement in social, educational, and community organizations included memberships in the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Virginia area chapter of Pi Lambda Theta, the Chrysalis Group, and a special professional women’s support group, Solidarity.

Adelaide was a life-long learner, with varied talents and interests. Fluent in both French and Spanish, Adelaide worked as a translator for the US government for a brief time after college. She also enjoyed dancing, and was an understudy for a professional dance company in Washington, D.C. from 1969-71. After moving to Connecticut, she continued to pursue this passion by traveling to New York to study modern dance with the renowned Alvin Ailey Dance Company between 1971 and 1975, and later performed with the Virginia Commonwealth University dance company in Richmond.

An adventurous world traveler who loved meeting new people and learning about other cultures, Adelaide even went on an extensive archaeological research expedition to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico in early 1970s. When she wasn’t traveling in her spare time with family or friends, she enjoyed spending time reading, practicing yoga, hosting special meals at her home, or trying a new restaurant in town. Adelaide loved the arts and especially enjoyed accompanying her husband to art events and exhibitions. Her most recent joy was spending time with her granddaughter, Sophia, who affectionately called her “BiBi.”

Adelaide embraced life with “joie de vivre”. She was beautiful inside and out, with an impeccable sense of style, elegance and grace. She was curious, an engaged listener, and witty. With a smile that lit up the room, she was warm and kind with a gentle, yet passionate spirit. Even as her health was in decline, she faced it with courage, strength and dignity. She leaves behind a legacy of love, family, generosity, excellence, and perseverance in the face of challenging circumstances. She will be deeply missed by all who loved and knew her well.

Those left to cherish her memories are her beloved husband of 21 years, Dennis Winston; her son, Dr. Sean Simpson (Felicia), Winston-Salem, NC; stepdaughter Kendra Abeleda (Allan), Hershey, PA; stepson Dennis Winston “DJ”, Hampton, VA; 3 grandchildren, Sophia, AJ and Kaden; and siblings David (Douglas), Philadelphia, PA, Listervelt, Jr. (Ruby), Raleigh, NC ; Barbara Price (Raymond); aunts Antoinette Stout, Round Rock, TX; Jeanette Fouche, Verona, NJ; Helen Williams, Dallas, TX; a host of cousins, nieces, and nephews; two sister-in laws, Robinette Poole and Jeanette Mallory, Richmond, VA; former spouse, Dr. Lorenzo Simpson; and a host of other relatives and friends.

A family visitation will be held on Friday, August 18 from 6-8pm at Woody’s Funeral Home at 1771 North Parham Road, Richmond, VA 23229. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, August 19 at 11am at the same location.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in her memory to Zenobia's Promise Foundation P.O. Box 23260, Richmond, VA 23260 (zenobiaspromise.org) or the VCU Office of Annual Giving P.O. Box 843042, Richmond, VA 23284-3042

Livestream link:

https://youtube.com/live/siiNdS1YM2E?feature=share

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.woodyfuneralhomeparham.com for the Simpson family.