Larry E. Simpson

ILarry Simpson. Once you've met him, who can forget him? He sang loud, laughed hard, rejoiced with glee, and please don't ever make him angry. He was truly a man of great passion.

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He was born on the side of a mountain in a coal mining town in West Virginia. This was the winter of '54. Segregation was alive and well in Welch, WV. His mother, Miss Louise was master chef at the local hospital, which was known throughout the county as a place to get a good meal. His older brothers, Altamont Hart, Prennice Wayne and Anthony were brilliant scholars, who fostered in Larry a love for education. They also ran a local juke joint in the upper story of their home on weekends, breeding in Larry a love for good music. People from all over the county would pay their quarter for a good time. This instilled in Larry a love for all people.

When he graduated from high school in 1972. Larry realized life among the coal mines was not for him. He enlisted in the army during the Viet Nam war. He served stateside in the military police, waiting for that call that would send him into combat. He gave them two years, and then said 'too late, you should have taken me when you had me'. He returned to the hills to attend West Virginia State College where he majored in Sociology and sang in the gospel choir. He began to walk in his destiny when he changed his major to Patty Middleton, a young girl from Connecticut.

Within two years, this dynamic duo had grown into a trio with a new soprano named Zinnia.. Being a principled man fully aware of his responsibilities, he decided to re enlist in the Army as a sure way to provide for his family. After a tour of duty in Texas, he received orders to go to Bamberg, Germany. Larry Jr.aka Dobie was born there. At this stage of their lives, Patty heard the voice of the Lord, and gave her life to Jesus. Larry was suspicious of her new devotion, asking 'what have you done that you have to be up in a church repenting all the time?' His suspicions led him to secretly get a Bible of his own, He would take it to work and store it there so that he could study it to find out what Pat was doing wrong. Checking on her he became a great student of the Bible, and Pat would affectionately call him 'my concordance'.

The next tour of duty came in 1981 at Fort Belvoir, VA, In this base right outside the nation's capital. This is where the baby girl Sarah Elizabeth was born. Pat managed to fall into a group of devout Apostolics, which made Larry search the scriptures even harder. He began to attend services on occasion. This is where he first learned to holler back at the preacher.

It was a great life, but Larry wasn't satisfied. He said he asked the Lord, 'if I leave the military, will I find a good job?' The Lord responded He would, and with that, Larry decided to discharge. The family moved back to Connecticut where Pat's family hailed from. Larry soon took up work at the USPS. The family grew to include Pat's mother Lois Middleton, her sister Marie Omorodion, nephews Hakeem and Mark, nieces Deedee, Amanda, Susie and daughter/niece Dawn Maisha. The children began to grow and leave home, which was indication to him that it was time for another change. The family moved to Bridgeport and attended New Vision International Ministries. In 2010, the family found a new home at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, becoming members on the day of Bishop Moales Sr's last service. Larry served proudly as Security, then as a Deacon, and finally as Father under the ministry of Bishop Elect Kenneth Moales Jr.

Larry took an early retirement from the Post Office to have an opportunity to do the things he loved to do. He returned to school at Housatonic Community College and obtained an Associates Degree. He then encouraged his wife to go back to school. With his gift of a photographic memory he tutored her all the way to her Master's degree as a PMHNP-BC

Father Simpson was a lifelong scholar, who never stopped studying everything from home repair to politics, to psychology in his spare time. Most of all Father Simpson's devotion showed in the way he loved the Lord. He studied the Bible with intensity and prayed with ferocity. It was as a pillar of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit where his passion, learnedness, and total commitment was on full display. Under the direction and stewardship of Rev. Kenneth Moles, Father Simpson found a community and a cause that allowed his life to shine as bright and bold as his booming baritone voice. Father Simpson rose to receive his eternal reward with the Lord, in the very early hours of December 5, 2025. He was surrounded by his wife of 48 years Patricia Anne Simpson, and his children Zinnia, Larry Jr, and Sarah. He is survived by his loving wife, 3 children, son in love Asamoah Sarpong, granddaughters Maanu Ayodeli Patricia, and Nana Esi, grandson Travis Alexander, Travis's wife Jori, and the blessing that brought tears to his eye last September, great grand daughter Leona.