William "Bill'  Simpson

April 11, 1948 - August 22, 2024

Here in La Paz our family called dad, Bill; in my cousin's case it was tio (uncle) Bill. Friends and neighbors called him William.  Dad had a tendency towards mischief, jokes, and teasing. He was always up to something. He just couldn't always succeed because he was always surrounded by our cat and four dogs, they were very protective of him.

From preschool to my first year of college, dad was always going back and forth across the US-Mexico border to care for my grandmother Margaret. After she died, he stayed here in La Paz with mom, also named Elizabeth, and I. We have plenty of nice beaches, but dad wasn't much for swimming. Instead, he enjoyed driving to the little towns near La Paz, especially Todos Santos and Pescadero, and spending the day there. We usually came back with a bunch of food and whatever caught dad's eye. He'd never admit it, but dad was a shopper!

Dad wasn't the only expat in our neighborhood, but he was the most appreciated, because he was approachable, liked to joke around and happy to lend a hand if you needed it. And mom's side of the family pretty much adopted him as an honorary Gutierrez. Not that it helped with his spoken Spanish, dad always understood it much better than he could pronounce it.

Dad could be gruff, brash and damn rude if someone pissed him off. But he was kind, and a much better man than he always thought he was. We love him and we miss him.

Elizabeth, Bill's daughter