Suzanne Landis Simpson

1943 - 2024

Suzanne Landis Simpson

April 24, 1943 - February 5, 2024

Chapel Hill, North Carolina - Suzanne Landis Simpson died peacefully at UNC Hospice on February 5, 2024.

Suzanne was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, on April 24, 1943, the only child of Margaret and Platt Landis. She grew up in Chapel Hill, spending her summers in Wrightsville Beach, where her grandmother owned the Landis Hotel. Suzanne graduated from Chapel Hill High School in 1961. She then attended Peace College in Raleigh and graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1965.

At UNC, she met a student from Winston-Salem, David Murray Simpson. They married in December 1965. After David's graduation from the UNC School of Dentistry, the Simpsons moved to Seattle, Washington, so David could pursue graduate studies at the University of Washington and where their son David was born. Soon after, David and Suzanne moved to Kensington, Maryland, while David worked as a U.S. Navy Dental Corps Officer at the Naval Hospital, where their daughter Laura was born.

In 1973, the Simpsons came back to Chapel Hill, when David joined the faculty of the UNC School of Dentistry. In 1976, Suzanne began a 30-year career as a teacher's aide at her children's school, Ephesus Road Elementary School. In Chapel Hill, Suzanne was an active and faithful member of the Church of the Holy Family, serving in numerous leadership roles. She was also active as an alum with the UNC Chapter of the Tri-Delts, serving on the house corporation. Suzanne and David built a rich life in Chapel Hill full of deep friendships and community service. She was beloved for her style, her humor, her hospitality, her love of animals -especially dogs- and the Tar Heels. Suzanne was known for her loyalty to friends and family, particularly her five grandsons, who held a very special place in her heart, as well as her commitment to the Episcopal Church and her Christian faith.

Suzanne was preceded in death by her father, Platt Walker Landis, and her mother, Margaret Clary Landis. Her father, who served in the Merchant Marine during World War II, died at sea just a few months after her birth. She is survived by her loving husband of 58 years, David, her children David Simpson (Lisa) and Laura Buxenbaum (Peter) and grandsons: Marshall, Oliver and Julian Simpson and Harris and Platt Buxenbaum.

A service will be held on February 24th at 1 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Family,

200 Hayes Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27517.

Donations can be made to the Church of the Holy Family.