Hundreds of people gathered at the Christ Episcopal Church in Cody on Friday to mourn and celebrate Ann Simpson, who died on July 31.
Simpson, 94, was married to the late U.S. Sen. Al Simpson for 72 years. They had three children and a growing number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, in addition to a tight-knit extended family and a vast community of friends.
The service was filled with love, humor, tears, and lots of clothing from The Bargain Box in Cody. Ann Simpson was known for keeping an eye out for any garments that might make her family and friends look their best.
“Mom loved thrift stores, estate sales, and bargains,” her daughter Sue Simpson Gallagher said during the service. “Could I have a show of hands of everyone here in both rooms who has purchased a piece of clothing from Encore or the Bargain Box that Ann Simpson convinced you to buy?”
Dozens of hands shot up, amid echoes of laughter.
The nave of the church was filled to capacity. Many people sat or stood in an adjacent room, so Simpson Gallagher made a point of thanking everyone for honoring her mother in that way.
“Thank you for standing and bearing witness to this celebration of our mother's life,” she said. “This was Ann Simpson. Open to all. Inclusive. It wasn't about the details, and the enormity of projects didn't overwhelm her. It inspired her.”
'A Head-Turning Event'
After the traditional Episcopal funeral services, members of the Simpson family came to the front of the church to share their memories of Ann. The first to speak was Pete Simpson, Al’s brother.
“You people have filled this house with love and caring and wonderful presence in the faith you have in the Lord himself and in the love you had for Ann,” he said.
Pete Simpson set a precedent that all the speakers followed: emotions of loss mixed with witticism.
“I was asked to speak first,” he said. “It is because of my sterling qualities or my gift at telling long-than-ordinary stories. No, it’s because I’m the oldest.”
Pete went on to say he had known Ann longer than Al. They met 75 years ago at the Student Union at the University of Wyoming. He recalled college-aged Ann Fogel as “the tall, dignified, and absolutely gorgeous girl from Greybull.”
When she and her twin sister, Nan, appeared, “it was a head-turning event” for every man on campus, according to Pete, who likened Ann to the actress Hedy Lamarr.
Pete shared the moment when Al told him that he’d proposed to Ann, and she’d accepted.
“Al never really forgave me for my response (when he told me), which was ‘What?” But, boy, did he luck out. And so did the whole family,” he said. “One thing Ann fought for was everybody she loved (and) everybody who loved her. She put up the fight for them and for all of their friends.”
Pete concluded by paraphrasing the last line of an Irish folk song by Mary Delaney.
“It said, ‘Ah, sweet Annie, whatever shall we do without you?’” he said. “Well, I want to simply say we will carry on, because Ann will insist. God, how we loved her, and God, how grateful we are that she said ‘Yes.’”
“That Vitality”
After Pete, Al and Ann’s son Bill Simpson spoke. He somewhat lamented the speaking order.
“I said I want to speak at mom’s service, but I don’t want to go after Pete, because no one can beat Pete,” he said.
Bill said his mother had “an idyllic life” in the Bighorn Basin. She was born and raised in Greybull, married in Basin, and lived the rest of her life in Cody except for Al's 18 years in Washington, D.C., as a senator.
“She was strong, and she was resilient,” he said. “She was fearless, and she was brave. She would never back down, and as Dad would say, you’d always want her in your corner. You’d always want Ann Simpson fighting for you.”
Bill praised his mother’s penchant for giving advice on everything from fashion and personal relationships to gum-chewing, as well as her humor, empathy, warmth, and compassion.
He also lauded the bond Ann shared with Al.
“Their bond was so strong and definitive,” he said. “I can only hope and pray all of us, with our life’s partner, have that kind of relationship.”
Ann also loved art, which is why she frequented museums whenever they traveled. Bill said she also had a penchant for “touching” the paintings.
“When she walked in a museum, there were signs everywhere,” he said. “Invariably, I would hear, ‘Ma’am, do not touch the painting.’ She said, ‘Bill, I didn’t touch it. I brushed up against it with my hand.’ That was not synonymous with touching. It was that fun side of Mom. That vitality.”
Bill ended by encouraging people to remember the Friday service.
“I hope and pray you’ll remember this day and remember Ann Simpson,” he said. “If you do, she’ll always be part of our lives. Wherever she is, I know she is active and vibrant.”
“Grace Personified”
Sue Simpson Gallager thanked everyone for attending the service, and all the community members and organizations that cared for Ann.
“I am so grateful to our mother for so many things,” she said. “One of those things is the gift of spontaneity. And in that spontaneity, she helped us be present (and) appreciate the moment. She really knew the power of now.”
She said her mother was “really good at living in this world fully,” recognizing opportunity, acknowledging good fortune, and “savored the joy of it all.”
“I know you would all agree that Mom was one of the most beautiful people you have ever known, inside and out,” she said. “She, like Dad, made us feel seen by her recognition, and not just because she remembered your name, but because she really paid attention. She was really interested in you. She was a marvelous friend. She was grace personified. She was just so real (and) unadulterated.”
Sue concluded by saying her mom was “her hero.”
“She was my best friend,” she said. “She was the most extraordinary woman I have ever known and will ever know. I will miss her every day for the rest of my life. Yet I will feel her presence everywhere, forever and always. Thank you, Mom, for everything. I couldn't love you any more than I do.”
“A Harmonizer”
Colin Simpson, Al and Ann’s second son, praised his siblings for supporting their mother and bringing her love and joy until her last moments. He called Ann “a grace giver.”
“She could be a tough critic and brutally honest,” he said. “She understood that we’re all full of flaws, and that grace and forgiveness allow us to look beyond the trivial and small things, and grant grace as we would want grace granted to ourselves.”
Colin described Ann’s life as “substantial and meaningful,” rarely burdened by guilt, anger, hurt, or remorse.
“She was comfortable with who she was, and that allowed others around her to be comfortable too,” she said. “Mom had great compassion and was very nurturing, but she never suffered self-pity, in herself or others.”
According to Colin, the road of self-pity in the Simpson home was “very short.”
“She simply wouldn’t allow it, and she told you so,” he said. “If you didn’t like it, you could go to your room and come out when you can be nice.”
Ann also loved dancing. Colin said she and his sister “grew up dancing in Greybull.”
“She taught Dad how to dance, and they loved to dance and did it a lot,” he said. “Dad called her ‘The Greybull Flash,’ and boy was she.”
As Colin concluded, he described Ann as “a harmonizer” who could bring people together during difficult discussions “just by being their (with) a smile.”
“Mom devoted her life to her husband, children, grandchildren, family, and friends, and she deserved great love and attention,” he said. “Where do we go from here? That’s easy. We carry on the traditions, values, character, and love of a great mother, grandmother, aunt, friend, and fellow traveler. We must remain bonded as a family and honor her deepest wishes for us all."
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
