Jerry Day Simpson, 75, husband of Kathleen P. (LaBonte) Simpson of Essex, died Monday morning, November 24, 2008 at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, following a courageous battle with multiple myeloma.

Born in Bangor, Maine on April 20, 1933, he was the son of the late Roy and Emily (Day) Simpson.  He graduated from Arlington (MA) High School and received his BS and MS from Northeastern University.  He was employed as an electrical engineer by Raytheon Company until his retirement in 1992.

Jerry’s many interests and hobbies included skiing, handball and genealogy.  He played the trumpet beginning in high school, and most recently with the Middlesex Concert Band.  He also enjoyed boating and lobstering with his family.

Anyone who knew Jerry knows that he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather.  He will be greatly missed by his wife Kitty and his daughters Ann Simpson of Gloucester, Martha Pulley and her husband Dick of Tewksbury, Nora Hannafin and her husband Mike of Manchester and Ellen Simpson and her husband Ejyo Katagiri of Salem, and his sister Joan Ciampa of Peabody.  He also leaves seven grandchildren – Mitch Adams, Jerry Adams, Eli Melanson, Laura Day Hannafin, Gwen Hannafin, Taizo Simpson and Joon-hyun Simpson, and his cat Ferris.

Private arrangements are under the direction of the Whittier-Porter Funeral Home of Ipswich.  Those who wish may make memorial contributions to either the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, P.O. Box 393, Hohenwald, TN 38462-0393 or the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, P.O. Box 414238, Boston, MA 02241-4238.