Dr. Willis Richard "Dick" Simpson (86) passed away in his sleep on March 3, 2025, after a long battle with lymphoma.
Doc Simpson, as he was known to many, was born to Sarabel "Sally" Pemberton Simpson and Willis Richard "Dub" Simpson on February 16, 1939, in the same home on North Main Street of Benton, Illinois, where his mother was born in 1916. He graduated from Benton High School in 1956, where he excelled in both academics and athletics, earning a football scholarship to Vanderbilt University. While working his way through dental school at St. Louis University, he met his match in a young nurse from St. Luke's Hospital. He married Lasalea "Lea" Chandler on June 8, 1963.
After completing his dental residency in Iowa City, the couple returned to Benton, where he practiced dentistry for more than 50 years. Doc was a vital part of the community, serving on the Rend Lake College Board of Trustees for 23 years acting as chairman during his tenure. He was an active member of the First U

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