Darrell Ray Simpson

Darrell Ray Simpson was born November 13, 1951 to Virgil, Dale (“Dick”) and Florence, Mae (McDaniel) Simpson in Leon, Iowa. He was baptized into the RLDS church on June 12, 1966.

Darrell graduated from Lamoni High School in 1970 and enrolled in Universal Tech in Omaha, Nebraska, where he studied auto mechanics. He had an automotive shop for a few years before starting work at Windsor Windows in Des Moines, Iowa, on October 31, 1987. He was head of the maintenance department, in charge of making sure all factory equipment ran smoothly. 

On November 12, 1986, a daughter Ashley was born to him and his wife Dana. Ashley was the apple of his eye and they spent happy times together during the summers canoeing, fishing, riding 4 wheelers, camping, looking for Indian arrowheads and woodworking in his immense machine shop.

After Darrell’s first stroke on January 20, 2007, he had to retire from Windsor Windows. At that time he was in the middle of building his dream home in Terra Haute using his own design.

Darrell had many friends who stopped by for a can of pop and a leisurely sit on the porch or digging into a mechanical project. He was never short of a joke to entertain them and always enjoyed their company.

Darrell passed away on Friday, January 3, 2025, in the hospital at Independence Missouri. Family will receive mourners at Decatur Restoration RLDS church in Decatur City, Iowa at 11 AM on January 9. Services will follow at 12 PM and internment will immediately follow at Hamilton cemetery in Pleasanton, Iowa. 

Darrell was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Ronald Simpson and wife Wanda, sister Genevieve Iles, nephews Jodi Coenen and Mike Simpson, sister-in-law Vicki Simpson, and brother-in-law Richard Kline.

Darrell is survived by daughter, Ashley Fermin and grandson, Jaxon of Riverside, California; sister Janice and husband Ryland Williams of Blue Springs, Missouri; brother Kenneth Simpson of Hamilton, Missouri; brother Fredric Simpson of Davis City, Iowa; brother-in-law, Robert Iles of Higginsville, Missouri; sisters Kathryn Kline, Ferryl Simpson, and Barbara Silver, all of Independence, Missouri; many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews and numerous friends.

He was loved and will truly be missed.