Simpson,Kathyrn (Kathy) Diane
1947-2023
It is with great sadness that the Simpson family announces the peaceful passing of Kathy, a beacon of good times and good advice, on November 10, in Golden, British Columbia.
Kathy was born in Toronto, Ontario to the most loving of parents, Bob and Kay Cude. Much of her youth was spent at the family cottage in Alcona, days upon days at the beach with cousins. Valedictorian of her class at Vaughan Road High School, Kathy went on to complete an honours undergraduate degree in Chemistry and a master’s degree in Psychopharmacology at the University of Toronto, where she conducted ground-breaking research on serotonin and the blood brain barrier at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry. On a chance blind date, she met her partner for life, John, and together they settled in Creemore, ON until they embarked on an adventurous post-retirement move to the mountains in Golden, BC.
Kathy leaves behind a legacy of compassion. She cared deeply about building communities where people cared for one other, and everyone was provided with opportunity. She worked tirelessly as a volunteer and advocate. Her impact was broad through roles such as the Chair of the Simcoe County United Way Board of Directors, Chair of My Friend’s House Women’s Shelter Board of Directors, Chair of the Simcoe County District School Board, her involvement with GOFR, Golden Foodbank, and the Golden Community Initiatives Grant Program. She was a steadfast supporter of women, children, and Indigenous peoples in all regards. She dedicated much of her life to political involvement, always hard at work for her vision of the world. Kathy’s active and unfaltering focus on contributing to creating kinder, fairer, and more caring communities was an inspiration and example to all who worked with her. She led and supported those around her and through her tireless work was responsible for many achievements that improved the life of hundreds of thousands of families.
Kathy will be remembered for her joy. She often guided decisions by ‘what sounds like more fun?’ and it led her down many rewarding paths. Her love of dance spanned stages, concerts, living rooms, and even the odd table. Her enthusiasm for the outdoors took her cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and on many walks, as no one was ever as dedicated to getting that FitBit to hit 10,000 each day. She loved watching the sun set over Jack Pine Lake in Temagami from the North cabin deck, preferably with a glass of wine and great company. A devoted friend, Kathy cherished her friendships from many different aspects of her life. As dementia began to take Kathy away from us, she was adamant that her friendships were the most important thing for her to maintain. We are forever grateful to her many friends that continued to show up for her in different ways through her end-of-life journey.
We will miss Kathy deeply. A true partner, she spent 53 years married to John and living a life that she was immensely proud of, though would rarely indicate as such. Her children Bonnie (Chris) and Jonathan (Sarah) are the continuation of her story. Her spirit of compassion is present every day in the kindness of her grandkids Novah, Briar, Kale, and Bryce who will miss their beloved Doh Doh. Kathy is also survived by her brother Bobby (Margaret), who she was certain hung the moon.
Kathy’s family would like to thank the care team at Durand Manor in Golden who provided kindness and support through the past year.
Should any friend or family wish to remember Kathy, donations can be made to My Friend’s House Women’s Shelter, one of the many organizations deeply close to Kathy’s heart. www. myfriendshouse.ca.
