Thomas Graydon Simpson's Obituary
Thomas Graydon Simpson, of Memphis, known to his friends and family as Graydon and to his co-workers as Tommy, died peacefully with his family at his side after a long illness on Tuesday, March 13, 2012, at the age of 85. At the time of his death, Graydon was living at Covington Manor Nursing Home in Covington, TN. Graydon was born on February 7, 1927 in Benton County, Mississippi, to the late John Oscar Simpson and Lucy Johnson Simpson. He was raised on his family’s farm near Ashland, Mississippi, and left home at the age of 18 in 1945 when he was drafted into the Army during his senior year in high school. After basic training, he served for one year in Occupied Japan in the immediate aftermath of World War 2. Upon returning home, Graydon finished his senio year of high school before enrolling for a short period of time at Northwest Mississippi Community College. He then moved to Memphis and went to work for the Hunter Fan Company, where he worked for 35 years. In Memphis, Graydon met his wife, Nancy Calhoun. After retiring from Hunter Fan at the age of 55, he began his second career as a Driver Supervisor for the Senior Meals on Wheels program at MIFA, where he worked for twenty years until he retired a second time at the age of 77 because of illness. Graydon had a special place in his heart for his home state of Mississippi. He was a lifelong fan of Ole Miss football and basketball, Mississippi authors, and his Mississippi family and friends. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his three beloved sisters, Johnnie Simpson Brooks, of Memphis; Anise Simpson McBride, and Mary Jo Simpson, both of Ashland. Graydon is survived by his beloved wife, Nancy; his son, Adam C. Simpson; his daughter-in-law, Halle Diehl Simpson; two dearly cherished grandchildren, Jack Henry and Amelia Simpson, and a sister-in-law, Carolyn C. Hall, all of Memphis. He also is survived by two nieces, three nephews, and a host of cousins and friends. Graydon was raised in the Beech Hill Church of Christ near Ripley, Mississippi, and attended the First United Methodist Church of Covington with his wife Nancy during their almost thirty-five years of marriage. Graydon was a kind, gentle, loving son, husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, and friend. He will be missed greatly and remembered fondly by many. The family extends a special thanks to his many dedicated caregivers during his illness. There will be a visitation with the family at Memorial Park Funeral Home in Memphis from 6-8 p.m. Friday, March 16, 2012, with interment in R.H. Munford Cemetery in Covington, Tennessee. A graveside service will be held on Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 2 p.m. The family requests that memorials be sent to the Memphis Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, MIFA, or the charity of the donor’s choice.
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