Obituary of Roger Carl Simpson

Roger C. Simpson, son, brother and uncle, died Feb. 13, 2018 in Cherry Hill, N.J. He was 72 years old. Born in Laredo, Texas, in 1945, Roger was a lifelong resident of N.J. The son of Carl and Eunice (nee Roger) Simpson, he is survived by his sister Helen (nee Simpson) Evans, a niece, Melissa (nee Evans) Poulson and two nephews, Matthew and Ethan Evans. He is also survived by a grand niece, Rebecca, and two grand nephews, Nicholas and Elijah. Roger will be remembered by his former wife Pat Stewart, of Tarboro, N.C. He will also be remembered as a caring confidant and advisor by his stepdaughter, Vicky Stewart, also of Tarboro. Roger was godfather to Darious and will be remembered by his longtime companion, Estelle. Roger grew up in Pitman, N.J., and loved playing baseball from his childhood through his graduation from Pitman High School in 1963. After having an impressive four years of pitching for the High School's "Panthers" baseball team, he received a scholarship to Tennessee Technological University. An avid baseball card collector, he was lovingly referred to by his father as "Roger Dodger." Roger's talent caught the attention of several Major League Baseball scouts, and he was recruited by the Houston Astros organization in 1965. He pitched in the Astros' farm system for several years, before eventually enlisting in the U.S. Army. Roger was stationed at Fort Ord, on Monterey Bay in California, at the beginning of the Vietnam War. He enjoyed vacations in Maine every August during the '60s, where the family would pick blueberries and swim in glacial lakes. A private graveside service will be planned for close family members at the cemetery of Saint Thomas' Church in Glassboro, N.J. Memories may be shared at www.kelleyfhpitman.com