Donna Simpson brought joy into the lives of those around her. That was evident as friends and family shared memories of the grocery industry veteran in an Oct. 16 ceremony at Certified Federal Credit Union, where the building and a serenity garden were dedicated in her memory.
Simpson died Aug. 23 of injuries sustained during a cycling accident in Boise, Idaho.
Simpson spent 24 years in the grocery industry, working at Vons in various management roles. For the past 20 years, she had worked at the credit union as EVP and COO.
Gary Vlcek, VP of membership development at CFCU, said Simpson was “a bright light. I know that she positively touched so many lives in our industry and beyond,” he said.
Pat Posey, COO of the Western Association of Food Chains, said he and Simpson had been friends for many years, watching each other rise through the ranks in the grocery industry. He said they had spent the better part of four hours a day for 16 weeks together in a car driving to and from the University of Southern California.
“When you spend that much time with somebody, you really get to know them … We talked about our goals and our dreams and our hopes and where we thought we would get in life.”
Hee Sook Alden, a grocery industry veteran and member of the CFCU Supervisory Committee, said there was “no better, incredible leader, friend and extraordinary human being” than her close friend.
Alden said when thinking about Simpson, several words came to mind: kindness, servant leader, advocate, visionary, spontaneous and fun.
“She wanted everyone to be heard, seen and connected. She wasn’t just the life the of the party; she was always the heart of it,” she said.
To honor Simpson’s legacy, Alden challenged those in attendance to think of Simpson’s kindness and pay it forward. “Go through life with an attitude of gratitude.”
Richard Wardwell, president and CEO of Superior Grocers, said Simpson was a very special person, with whom he loved to laugh.
“Whenever I go to an event, I’d look for the tallest person in the room, because I had to get my laugh on,” he said. “So I would go to her, and we would laugh. Usually we would laugh about me, because she would make fun of me every chance she got … Now, every time I think of Donna, I smile.
Simpson’s sister, Kathy Krause, shared that her younger sibling also was her best friend. “She lived the kind of life where you just knew, by the way she carried herself, that you were among greatness,” Krause said.
She added that the key to that greatness was to “let Donna be Donna.”
“Letting Donna be Donna was just the best medicine. It was so fun to watch her.”
CFCU placed a brass plaque on the building’s entrance, dedicating it to Simpson. The serenity garden was constructed behind the building.
The garden will be adorned with a six-foot bronze statue of Simpson kissing her surfboard, created from one of her favorite photos, which also was one of the few she had taken of herself.
CFCU made a donation to the California Grocers Association Educational Foundation in Simpson’s memory, along with a $100,000 donation to the City of Hope, which was accepted by Cheryl Kennick, senior director of development and friend of Simpson.
“Thank you all so very much for keeping City of Hope close to your heart,” she said. “Donna was a true champion of hope and was always there to help everyone in need. Donna has left big footprints in our hearts. May she rest in peace.”
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