Weaver Scot Simpson

Weaver Scot Simpson

WINONA - It is with great sadness we announce and mourn the loss of Weaver Scot Simpson, 78, of Winona, Minn. Scot passed away peacefully at Winona Health Hospital on November 7, 2025, and is now in a better place, reunited with his family. He never liked his first name, Weaver, so everyone knew him as Scot (with one T).

Scot was on his own from the age of 16, as he always said he was the product of a military family. His father was stationed at the Oakland Army Base in Oakland, Calif., and his mother worked as a military secretary. They divorced when Scot was young. He completed high school and went on to obtain his master's degrees in Business and Library Science. He was an alumnus of the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo. When he graduated from college, Scot joined the Peace Corps and was able to travel to many different countries and experience many different cultures. He had great stories of traveling to Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, England, and Germany, to name a few. One of his most involved undertakings was going to the island of Fiji and starting their first library. As he often said, the people there didn't understand the concept of taking a book and bringing it back, so they would return with baskets of food, or one time he even got a chicken.

He married the love of his life, Myrna, on October 15, 2005. They had just celebrated 20 years of marriage. His favorite Bible verse became one they had included in their vows from 1 Corinthians 13:4: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." The first seven years of their marriage were tested by the loss of his sister, mother, and Myrna's family. Through it all, they became stronger together.

Scot had many different jobs throughout his career. These included being a history teacher in West Virginia, an Interlibrary Loan librarian in Madison, a librarian at the Beloit Public Library, and his last job of 22 years at the University Hospital in Madison, where he was a computer specialist.

His hobbies included doing puzzles of all types, developing quizzes for the Sporcle website, collecting beer gear, playing trivia games, greeting the cruise ships during the summer in Winona, and working at the Winona County Historical Society (which he said was one of his favorite volunteer jobs). He also did stints at the Monroe County History Room and Museum in Sparta, WI, and the I-90 Wisconsin Welcome Center near La Crosse, WI.

He was an avid fan of the Minnesota Twins and the Vikings, and still a Packer fan from his days of living in Wisconsin. He was a huge music fan of Dolly Parton, and his favorite song was "I Will Always Love You." He often said Dolly was a true icon of his generation.

He is survived by his loving wife, Myrna, and his furry husky friend, Laka. He was preceded in death by his sister, Ann; mother, Myrtle; and father, Weaver Sr.

Myrna would like to thank the fire department, ambulance personnel, emergency doctors and nurses at Winona Health Hospital, who treated him with dignity to the end, and the Torkelson Page-Smith funeral staff, who helped with his final wishes.

Memorials may be directed to the Monroe County Humane Society in Sparta, Wis.; the Monroe County History Room and Museum in Sparta, Wis.; the Winona County Historical Society in Winona, Minn.; or Faith Lutheran Church in Winona, Minn.

A Celebration of Scot's Life will be held on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at 2 p.m. at the Torkelson Funeral Home in Sparta. Burial will follow in Mount Hope Cemetery. Family and friends are invited for visitation on Wednesday from 1 p.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home. The Torkelson Funeral Home of Sparta is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be offered at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com.