Charles Nicholas "Charlie" Simpson

Charles Nicholas Simpson was born September 25, 1980 in Yakima, Washington.

Throughout his life, Charlie loved all things sports. As a boy he was always out playing with his friends at the neighborhood park in his home town of South Cle Elum. During his high school years, he represented Cle Elum Roslyn High School in the Washington State Tournaments for both basketball and track, setting the school record in discus. Charlie attended hundreds of Sonics, Seahawk, and Mariners games. Always a loyal fan.

When he was young, Charlie loved spending time with his grandpa. He was a life-time member of Cascade Field and Stream Club, where he won his first turkey shoot when he was in the third grade! When he and grandpa weren't target shooting, they could be found fishing at "hobo hole" or looking for mushrooms. Summers were spent camping at Fish Lake, fishing for brookies, cutting firewood or picking berries with grandma. In the winter, the family would ride snowmobiles to Fish Lake.

When he wasn't with his grandpa, his free time was spent hanging around the family Texaco station with his dad. He started driving tow trucks as soon as he turned 16. When the business was expanded to include a Subway franchise, Charlie assumed the role of night manager while he was a student at Central Washington University. He graduated in 2003 with a degree in Business Management.

His experience and his love of sports shaped his dream of owning and operating a family Sports Bar and Restaurant. Bleachers was Ellensburg's version of "Cheers" where you could always find Charlie with a smile behind the bar.

When he wasn't working, he could be found golfing or boating on the Columbia River.

It was during his time at Bleachers that Charlie met Ashley, the love of his life. The two were married June 29, 2013. Charlie and Ashley worked side by side at Bleachers for many years. Charlie and Ashley also owned and operated Hot Diggity Dog. Charlie was an active member in the community. He enjoyed working with Generations, a group of Ellensburg small business owners that joined together to make positive impacts in their community.

After Covid resulted in the closure of Bleachers, Charlie and Ashley decided to make a new start. Together with their "girls", their beloved black labs Riley and Sadee, they moved to Texas in the fall of 2021 where they enjoyed the warm weather and grilling by their outdoor pool.

During his final months, Charlie received hundreds of messages, donations and visitors. He was fortunate to know that he touched the lives of so many. Charlie passed away on April 11, 2024 at home with his wife and girls after a hard fought battle with cancer.

Charlie is survived by his wife Ashley Simpson, parents George and Dodie Canori Simpson, sister Chea (Ron) Lucero and nieces Grace Grier and Annie Grier as well as countless friends.

A celebration of life is planned for July 13th at 2pm at the Simpson home in Ellensburg. A memorial scholarship will be established in his name to benefit student athletes in Kittitas County.