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Delouris Simpson
...was born January 16, 1953 to the late Earnest, Sr. and Mattie Simpson in Oneida, Arkansas. The seventh of eight children, many called Delouris (or Lois, as she was affectionately known) Earnest and Mattie’s most beautiful baby. When she was 11 months old, Earnest and Mattie moved Lois and her 6 older siblings to West Helena, Arkansas to raise their loving family.
Shortly after Lois turned five, her older cousin, also named Lois, recognized that her younger cousin was gifted and had the younger Lois enrolled in the elder’s first grade class at Westside Elementary School, where the younger Lois continued through sixthgrade.
When not in school, Lois spent her younger years keeping up with her older brothers and playing with her younger brother and her friends. However, in her mother’s house, work and play were secondary to serving the Lord. Lois accepted Christ as her Lord and savior at the young age of 8 and was baptized at First Baptist Church in West Helena, Arkansas by pastor H. Y. Ward. She remained a faithful member there – active in ministries such as Sunday school, Baptist Training Union, and the Junior Choir – until she graduated from college and moved to Detroit.
Delouris attended seventh through ninth grades at Eliza Miller Junior High School and tenth through twelfth grades at Eliza Miller Senior High School, where she was a member of the honor society, the glee club, the service organization—Sophie—and was an officer in New Homemakers of America. She was also the captain of the women’s basketball team and captain of the cheerleading squad. As a senior, Delouris participated in the Miss Debutante Cotillion sponsored by the Helena Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, where she was crowned Miss Debutante. She graduated from Eliza Miller Senior High School in 1970.
Using the scholarship received from winning the Ms. Debutante Cotillion, Delouris enrolled in Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical, and Normal College (now the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff) in the fall of 1970. Lois was an active member of the Helena Club, Student Senate, Home Economics Club, and various other activities on campus. On November 17, 1972, she was initiated into the Delta Eta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated as number 4 of the Tenacious 22 line. The following year, she served as the chapter’s dean of pledges.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Institutional Dietetics, Lois relocated to Detroit, Michigan, at the request of her mother to help Lois's older sister raise her two sons. While in metro Detroit, she worked in dietetics as a food services manager for Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Pontiac General Hospital, local nursing homes, and for the Detroit Urban League as a W.I.C. consultant, where Delouris counseled thousands of women and families.
Although seemingly quiet, those who knew her saw her as the life of the party. Her smile could light up a dark room; her humor could bring joy to even the saddest person. She was an amazing mother to her pride and joy, Patrice Nacole and Patrick Nicholas, and a selfless caregiver for her late aunt and uncle, Rudoll and Charles Robins. She lived a full life as a member of the Detroit Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; El Bethel Church, the Day 11 prayer partners (and honorary Day 6 prayer partner), the Detroit Urban League Guild, and the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network. Through the years, she enjoyed hobbies such as making ceramic pieces, dancing, walking three miles daily, sharing resources for new mothers and senior citizens, and above all, talking with her children and providing them with the tools for success.
Delouris was a beacon of strength and resilience. During the spring of 2009, she was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer, but had an unwavering strength to push through countless rounds of cancer treatment without it changing her positive outlook. During her last year, she remained a champion of perseverance, although hospital visits became even more frequent and symptoms more severe. She never stopped smiling and spreading joy to those around her. Delouris was a light to everyone she encountered in the hospital - many even called her a Mama, V.I.P., and Employee of the Month. She could guide newer nurses through her routines and vowed to return as a volunteer once she was better. Every clinician she worked with was impressed by her journey of survival for almost 13 years with a prognosis typical of only five years. She fought an enduring battle with a smile until the very end.
Delouris Simpson passed away at home in Detroit, Michigan on Monday, December 27th, 2021 at the age of 68. She is predeceased by her father, Earnest Simpson; her mother, Mattie Bryant Simpson; and her two brothers, Herman Simpson and James Simpson. She leaves to cherish her memory: her loving daughter, Patrice Nacole Simpson of Detroit, MI and son, Patrick Nicholas Simpson-Mahan of Atlanta, GA; three sisters, Beatrice Jones of West Helena, AR, Helen Brown of Champagne, IL, and Earnestine (JC) Stayton of West Helena, AR; two brothers Earnest (Linda) Simpson, Jr. and Walter (Mary) Simpson both of West Helena, AR; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and sorors.
Delouris was often described as “the sweetest woman” because she treated everyone with kindness and gave her all to her loved ones, especially her two children. Her spirit was lively, and her smile was charming. She will be remembered by countless as a woman who was always true to her word and always put family first…
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands… We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:1, 8
Acknowledgments
The family of Delouris Simpson would like to thank those who helped provide support for her during her last years, including Dr. Winer and the healthcare professionals at Karmanos Cancer Institute, her beloved sorors of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and the congregation of El Bethel Baptist Church. We would also like to thank James H. Cole Home for Funerals in Detroit, Michigan and Kincaid Funeral Services in West Helena, Arkansas for preparing her final arrangements, Annie Wrap and Flowers for preparing the floral arrangements, Fay Jackson for designing the obituary, the printer of the obituary, Jackson Memorial Cemetery for housing her final resting place in Arkansas, and everyone who has supported us during this time, whether it be providing uplifting calls, text messages, food, fellowship, flowers, or cards. A more personal acknowledgement will be made at a later date.
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Tributes
Letter to Mom
You were always there rooting for me at every track meet, no matter how slow or defeated I felt. You taught me to never give up. From the moment I decided to become a doctor, you were my biggest advocate. We spent countless hours on the phone discussing interesting cases, including your own condition. Once, you jokingly told me, “I oughta be able to get in med school after all the things you tell me.” At the time, your words were light and humorous, but they meant the world to me. I’ll always cherish your smile and our conversations.
-Love, your son, Patrick
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Ma,
I prayed that I wouldn’t have to find the words to write this to you until sometime after your hundredth birthday. I expressed and told you of my love for you daily, but there is something different about actually writing it as my final message to you. Mommy, you have always amazed me. You possessed strength, intelligence, compassion, and perseverance that I strive to attain but can’t quite catch up to. You raised two children alone and somehow made the impossible possible without letting us see how difficult being an adult actually is. I’ll miss our conversations. I’ll miss your presence when we simply sat in silence watching TV. Above all else, I think I’ll miss your humor and your heart. You were easily the one of the funniest and kindest people I’ve ever known. Always making me laugh, always comforting me with a hug and a kiss, always reassuring me when I couldn’t quite find my confidence, you possessed a capacity to care for me that extended above and beyond. I’ll always love you to the farthest depths of space where matter ceases to exist and then back home to you again. I won’t say goodbye because we’ll see each other again one day, not too soon, but one day. Have a spot ready for me in your mansion in our Father’s house where we can sit and watch reruns of time while I pinch the soft skin on the back of your arm, rest on your shoulder, and laugh while you tell me to go on somewhere or be comforted while you sing our special song.
Love always, Your daughter, Patrice Nacole
