Royce Vance Simpson Sr., 85

Royce Vance Simpson Sr., 85, of Fort Collins, Colo., formerly of Kalispell, died June 12, 2009. His body has been cremated and a gathering in his memory, with full military honors, will be held later this summer.Royce Vance Simpson was born Sept. 23, 1923, in Winnemucca, Nev., to Leland and Marion Simpson. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a medical officer aboard an anti-submarine patrol craft. Following his service in the Navy, Royce attended and graduated from the University of California at Davis as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. He owned and operated a veterinary hospital in North Hollywood, Calif., for 20 years. In 1968, Royce married Jessamine Marion Sadler. In 1983, after retiring from his practice in North Hollywood they moved to Kalispell, where he busied himself with raising horses, hiking, skiing and working as a childrenÕs librarian.Royce was a marathoner and mountain climber; a gardener and cook; he built model trains; loved music; was a voracious reader; and loved to read to children. He was always learning, and enjoyed sharing his knowledge and wisdom with his family and anyone who enjoyed a good discussion. He attended Crossroads Church in Loveland, Colo.He is survived by his wife, Jessamine; four children, Gregory Royce Simpson of Shasta City, Calif., Kiko Simpson of Denver, Laurel Ann Simpson of Fredericksburg, Va., and Royce Vance Simpson Jr., of Fort Collins; and four grandchildren, Taylor Skye Hawkins, Hunter Brian Green, Skyler Bancroft Simpson and Ansley Wild Simpson.His family requests that any memorial donations please be made to the AlzheimerÕs Association at 415 Peterson St., Fort Collins, CO 80524. Please go to www.goesfuneralcare.com to sign the guestbook and post your own thoughts and memories of Royce.