Julie Leigh (Sims) Simpson

It is with grief in saying “good-bye” and with hope that we might see her later that we relinquish the phenomenal Julie Simpson.

She was an extraordinary wife, daughter, mom, sister, aunt, friend, in-law, champion of the underdog, and so much more. Julie never met a stranger. She was equally at home on a dock, a porch, a beach, or a boat, and home was wherever Julie was. She taught her children that nature is everything, and every butterfly, dog, tree, turtle, lake, or flower is worthy of appreciation, a pet, a lean, a swim, a sniff, and protection. Julie knew that we are all only here for a short time, and she taught us the importance of  smelling the flowers along the way.

Julie and her husband Gabriel could not have raised a more beautiful, brave bunch of children than they have in Hannah, Olivia, Maya, and Edan, and because of them, her grandson Lincoln will always know how magical his YaYa was. She deeply loved and respected her parents, Barbara and Toy Sims, and was a kind, loving, and often laughing sister to Cathy and Tank Saffold, Sheri and Mitchell Rhoades, Toy Sims Jr and Bonnie Griffin, and Mike Sims.  

In no particular order, Julie also loved music, books (especially those about strong and powerful women), creating, and healing. Her soaps looked, felt, and smelled divine.

In the immortal words of Tom Petty, whom she also loved, Julie was an “American Girl” and so much more. We will all carry forward her unforgettable light to illuminate our paths for years to come. Julie was a blazing light in times of darkness. She’s a supernova now.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island at https://jekyllislandfoundation.org/give/initiatives/the-georgia-sea-turtle-center/

Her service will be held on Sunday June 4th at 1:00pm at Empire Mills at 1290 Pennington Rd. Madison, GA 30650.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Julie Leigh (Sims) Simpson, please visit our floral store.