Edward Rudolph Simpson

SIMPSON Edward Rudolph, of Ringoes, N.J died Sunday, July 8, 2007, at home, under hospice care from Hunterdon Medical Center. He was 80. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday at 10 AM in St. Paul Lutheran Church 201 Route 31, Flemington, NJ. Interment will be in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery, Reaville, NJ. Calling hours will be held on Tuesday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM in the Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main Street, Flemington, NJ.

Ed is survived by his wife of 58 years, Doris Schwing Simpson; two daughters and sons-in-law, Robin and Wesley Stokes of Harmony, NJ, and Barbara and John Vadnais of Morristown, NJ; two sons and daughters-in-law, Mark and Heather Simpson of Chicago, IL, and Neil and Madeline Simpson of Flemington, NJ ; and six grandchildren: Henry, Arthur, Alexandria, Charlotte, Evan, and Clark. He was pre-deceased by his siblings Katherine Simpson Peters and Carl Simpson.

He was born in the Bronx, N.Y. on August 24, 1926 and graduated from Irvington High School in 1944. He served in the U.S. Maritime Service as a Radio Officer/Purser. He married Doris Schwing, his high school sweetheart, in 1949. He graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from Newark College of Education (now NJIT) in June, 1951.

He was owner of Mid-Atlantic Sheet Metal Company of Rahway, N.J. for 10 years. He and Doris created and owned Muirhead Restaurant in Ringoes, N.J., a fine dining restaurant, for 20 years. He retired and developed Muirhead Food Products, makers of fruit butters, mustards, salad dressings and condiments.

He was a member of the Dennis A. Roland Chapter of the American Merchant Marine Veterans and a former Radio Officer in World War II Maritime Service. He was a member of the Hoffmann Island Radio Association, and organized and attended this year’s annual reunion that was held in May. He also spoke at the dedication of the Veterans Memorial in Somerville, N.J. on June 4.

He has been actively campaigning to achieve military veteran status for merchant mariners who served during World War II.

Ed was an Elder and Deacon at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Flemington where he played a key role in supervising construction of the new addition. He was a Past Master and State Representative for Ringoes Grange #12 in Ringoes, N.J. Ed was the Vice Conseilier Gastronomique of Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and was a former member of Colonia Country Club. He was a member of the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America – Central Jersey Region. He was Past Master of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Clark, N.J., and was a member of Lafayette Lodge #27 of the Free and Accepted Masons in Rahway, N.J.