Elder Robert L. Simpson, who served in several capacities as an LDS Church general authority for 28 years, died Tuesday at his home in St. George. He was 87.
Funeral services are scheduled Saturday at noon at the Green Valley stake center, 511 South Valley View Drive, in St. George.
Elder Simpson was called in October 1961 as first counselor to Presiding Bishop John H. Vandenberg. He was sustained as an assistant to the Council of the Twelve in April 1972 and to the First Quorum of the Seventy Oct. 1, 1976. He was named an emeritus general authority Oct. 1, 1989.
In 1995, he was called as director of the St. George Temple Visitors Center. The Simpsons had moved to St. George earlier.
In his last general authority assignment, Elder Simpson served as general president of the Sunday School from 1986 to 1989. He was Pacific Area president for two years before that and also served for a year as second counselor in the Young Men general presidency. He was president of the Los Angeles Temple in the 1970s.
During his 10 1/2 years in the Presiding Bishopric, Elder Simpson's prime responsibility was supervising the church's youth programs. When he was called as an Assistant to the Twelve, he became managing director of the church's Social Services Department and associate managing director of Melchizedek Priesthood MIA.
In 1975, he was called to preside over the East London Mission, six months before being called as an area supervisor. On Jan. 1, 1979, he became managing director of the Missionary Department and also area supervisor for the Salt Lake Area.
He was born Aug. 8, 1915, in Salt Lake City, a son of Heber Chase and Lillian Leatham Simpson. He moved to Southern California with his family while a child and spent most of his life there until called to the Presiding Bishopric.
Elder Simpson attended Venice High School in Los Angeles and received an associate arts degree from Santa Monica City College in 1937.
During World War II, he was a member of the Air Force and attended the technical training command at Yale University, specializing in communications. He was commissioned on his graduation.
He served as a captain in the Air Force in Egypt, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia and was coordinator for the church servicemen's program there during his military service. In addition, he did special work with the Maori Battalion from New Zealand while stationed in Cairo, Egypt.
Elder Simpson served a mission to New Zealand from May 1937, following his graduation from Santa Monica City College, to March 1940. During his mission, he was a young men superintendent.
Elder Simpson was to return to New Zealand later, in 1958, as mission president. He was released in May 1961, four months before his call to the Presiding Bishopric.
He was Inglewood Stake mission president from 1941 to 1943 and was servicemen's coordinator for North Africa and the Middle East from 1943 to 1945, during his military service. Then he served on the Inglewood Stake High Council for 1 1/2 years, as Inglewood Stake Sunday School superintendent, MIA superintendent, first counselor in the Inglewood Ward bishopric and on the high council again for five more years.
He was on the high council when he was called as mission president.
Elder Simpson worked for the Pacific Telephone Co. for more than 20 years, serving successively as a plant engineer, public communications supervisor and accounting department manager. He was head of the accounting department when he was called to the Presiding Bishopric.
Elder Simpson married Jelaire Kathryn Chandler of Los Angeles in the Arizona Temple on June 24, 1942. He is survived by three children: Steven Chandler, Christine and Robert Michael. Another child preceded him in death.
Elder Simpson was active in Scouting and received the Silver Beaver and the Silver Antelope.