Robert Stanley "Stan" Simpson

Robert Stanley “Stan” Simpson was born on July 2, 1928, in Miami, Oklahoma, to Paul E. Simpson and Nona Middleton Simpson.  Paul worked in the oil business, and the family moved back and forth between Oklahoma and Texas, where Stan’s two brothers, Paul, Jr., and Kenneth Joe, were born. Stan attended the University of Oklahoma, graduating with a degree in Petroleum Engineering, and fostering a lifelong passion for OU football.  During and after the Korean War, Stan served in the Army and was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and Beale Air Force Base in California.  On September 2, 1956, after a short courtship, he married Mary Louise Wiley in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Stan’s cousin, who introduced them, was married to Mary Louise’s uncle.) Stan’s early career was spent working on oil rigs.  Due to his job, Stan and Mary Louise moved several times, ending up in Pampa, Texas, where they had a son, Stephen.  In 1959, Stan got a job with the Federal Power Commission [later the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)] in Washington, DC, so they moved to Alexandria, Virginia, where they had two daughters, Melissa and Jean-Marie.  He earned a Master’s Degree from the George Washington University in 1964, and served the American people for thirty-five years, retiring from FERC in 1994.

Stan was very interested in genealogy, tracing his family roots back to 1725, when Andrew Simpson arrived in Nottingham, New Hampshire, from Scotland.  He was also a faithful member of Duke Street Baptist Church and First Baptist Church, both in Alexandria. He kept close watch in the business meetings of both churches.  His particular joys were volunteering to work on the Living Christmas Tree and researching the history of First Baptist. After retiring, he enjoyed traveling with Mary Louise and the First Baptist Seniors all over the United States.

Stan went home on June 17, 2022, to join Mary Louise, who died in December 2015, and his brothers Paul (August 2009) and Joe (October 2020).  He is survived by his children, Stephen, Melissa, and Jean-Marie; his daughter-in-law, Lois; his grandson, Jake and Jake’s fiancée, Camila; and extended family and many friends.  A Celebration of Stan's life will be on July 2, 2022 at First Baptist Church of Alexandria, 2932 King St., Alexandria, VA, at 12:30 pm with light refreshments following the service.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made in Stan's name to the W. Cecil Frazier Fund of the First Baptist of Alexandria Foundation, 2932 King St., Alexandria, VA  22302.

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