Papa John Funeral

Obituary

Johnny Willis Simpson, Jr., age 68, formerly of Bleckley County, passed away Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Johnny was born on July 9, 1954, to Johnny Willis (Will) Simpson and Nell Jean Stone Simpson of Danville, GA. He was a 1972 graduate of Bleckley County High School and attended Trevecca Nazarene College in Nashville, TN, and Middle Georgia College in Cochran, GA. Growing up on the family farm, Johnny was not a stranger to hard work. He assisted his father with feeding the farm animals, planting various crops, plowing and harvesting fields, operating farm equipment, and doing countless other farm-related responsibilities. Johnny owned and operated S&S Farms, a regional farming business. In his later years he volunteered for Dublin Rising in Laurens County, a charity providing shelter for the homeless where he was well-liked and will be missed. Johnny was avid outdoorsman. He especially enjoyed hunting, fishing, and gardening. He loved his family and his pets. He is survived by his five children, Matt (Jami) Simpson, Jonna (Brad) Portwood, April (Shawn) Wood, Danell (Nick) Felizardo, and Johnny Simpson, III, his sisters, Jeanna (Steve) Thornton and Myra Simpson, a brother, Mark Simpson, and his five grandchildren, Ethan (Emily) Wood, David Wood, Shawna Wood, Alaina Portwood, and Amanda Simpson.

Stories

Y’all may know Johnny as a friend, a volunteer, a distant family member, but I knew him as my grandad. I remember riding around on the farm with him and my brother going to see the cows. I remember going to see him every Christmas to open presents. It was always a joy to go out there to be with him, my nana, and my pop.

Scripture

Papa John was a loved man. That is clear just from all those here today. But he was also a loving man. You see Johnny Simpson was a follower of Jesus. Jesus is the God of the Universe that came down to this Earth in the form of a man to die for our sins. So even though we all make mistakes, those who have accepted Jesus as their savior will spend eternity in Heaven because those mistakes are forgiven. That is the most loving thing any person has and will ever do. And because Johnny was a follower of Christ, God was continually making his heart more like Jesus’ heart.

Johnny’s favorite person to read about in the Bible was David. Actually one of his favorite movies was about the story of David. I wanna read today from the book of Psalms for that reason.

Dvid wrote this in Psalm 23 about God:

Psalm 23 NASB95

A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

God is our shepherd, always watching over us. Isn’t that a comforting feeling knowing that God is always watching over us? David wrote that even though he walks through the valley of the shadow of death that he will fear no evil because God is with him. Just as the rod and the staff of a shepherd comforts their sheep, so also does God’s Word comfort us; because we see over and over again in the Bible how God was faithful to His people even though they were rarely faithful to Him. And even though David made mistakes in his life, God was still with him; guiding him through the valley of the shadow of death. That is the love of God. And this love is not something that you have to work to get. God doesn’t ask you to get your heart right and then come to him. He asks that you come as you are, and He will do the rest.

David said that God anointed his head with oil. You see shepherds often rubbed oil on their sheep to protect them from insects. God will protect you, He will guide you, He will fill you with His love so much so that it will overflow onto those around you. That’s what God did for Johnny Simpson, and He can do the same for you as well.

Next, we’re gonna sing a song about this Psalm of David. It was part of the movie King David, which was one of Johnny’s favorite movies.