Christmas Day is a day filled with love, family and friends. Ted Simpler’s life was all about the love of his family and his friends. What was important to him was being together and having loved ones nearby. Ted left us peacefully on Dec. 25, 2020. 

The evening before, the entire family gathered at his home in Fenwick Island. It was loud, filled with so much love and laughter, reminiscing about good times and family memories. His wife of 58 years Marilyn; his daughter, Clover and her husband Paul; his daughter, Kim and her husband Greg and his grandson Colby were all together. That is how Ted wanted it. 

Ted was the son of William Roy and Gertrude W. Simpler of Rehoboth Beach, where he was born and spent his childhood. He spent his early years working at Funland and delivering milk. He had a passion for hunting and fishing. He cherished the many fond memories of times with his father, brother, cousins and friends. Ted graduated from Rehoboth High School in 1958. 

On the first day of college at Wesley (Dover), Ted met the love of his life, Marilyn Hopen. Ted and Marilyn created a beautiful life together, with family at the center of everything they did. 

Ted obtained his associates degree at Wesley. As soon as Marilyn graduated from college, Ted and Marilyn got married. Together, they moved to a small farmhouse in Cooksville, Tenn., along with their dog Yoyo. Marilyn taught school, while Ted completed his degree in Mechanical Engineering at Tennessee Polytechnic.

After graduating, Ted started working for E.I. DuPont at the Seaford Nylon Plant as an engineer. Ted held many positions while at DuPont. Most importantly, he raised his family in Seaford where he and Marilyn met many of their lifelong friends. Most weekends, Ted and Marilyn would eat crab cakes at Suicide Bridge and then dance the night away at the Northwood Restaurant. Summers were spent camping, boating, crabbing and watching the girls swim for the Seaford Golf and Country Club swim team. 

While working at DuPont, Ted obtained his surveying license. At the time, he was the youngest surveyor in the state of Delaware. 

Ted could fix anything, as he loved to design and engineer solutions for big and small challenges. He was always creative and loved to share his wisdom with others. Friends and neighbors would seek out his advice and he was always there to help. He had a deep love of animals and there was always a dog in the home. 

Ted and Marilyn had a love of golf and it was something they enjoyed doing together. They retired in Fenwick Island, and were happy to attend as many of their grandson’s baseball and golf tournaments as possible. 

For the last 15 years, they spent their winters in Spring Lake, Fla. Ted golfed everyday, setting up tee times, telling stories and enjoying the company of many friends. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to: Delaware Hospice at 100 Patriots Way, Milford, DE 19963 or online at DelawareHospice.org. Write in memory of Ted Simpler. 

The family will be having a private service. They will be spreading his ashes in the Delaware Bays he loved so much. 

Finally, the family would like to thank all of Ted’s friends, for their calls, texts, food, visits and mostly, grateful for your love. 

Online condolences can be made a www.melsonfuneralservices.com.