Photo by Melissa Sloan
Don and Maxine Simpson were married for 62 years and died together, holding hands. Just like in The Notebook, this real-life story reminds us all how powerful love and loyalty truly are.
A fairytale romance.
The Simpsons met while bowling several decades ago. They were married just a few years later. The family reiterates the fact that they did everything together. Their passions were international travel and being active and supportive in their local community. The couple shared their love and expanded their family when they welcomed two sons, both by way of adoption.
“He adored my grandmother, loved her to the end of the earth,” their granddaughter Melissa Sloan told their local news station.
The end of an era.
A few weeks ago, Don fell and broke his hip. Regardless of the doctor’s efforts, his health was quickly declining. Meanwhile, Maxine’s long battle with cancer had progressed.
Sloan and her other family members did not want to keep the couple apart, so they moved them into a guest bedroom.
“And grandma woke up and saw him, and they held hands and they knew that they were next to each other,” Sloan told ABC news. “I knew in my heart, before I even got there, this is what’s supposed to happen. Grandma and grandpa are supposed to be together and grandma and grandpa are going to die together.”
Not long after, Maxine passed away.
A few hours later her body was taken away, and Don took his last breath.
“I walked them out with her body walked back in to check on grandpa and he quit breathing. As soon as her body left the room, he left with her,” Sloan recounted. “And they passed four hours apart from each other… It’s just amazing, it really is amazing. It’s a true love story.”
What does this say about family?
What is often being looked over in this story is the importance of community and family. The entire Simpson family is a beautiful example of valuing family and life. Melissa Sloan and the other family members went above and beyond what is expected in our culture in terms of elderly care.
My sister once told me, “Value and honor your children. One day you will find that they do lead by example, and they will value and honor you… along with others.”
