A Season Dedicated to Brothers
- Details
- Created on Monday, 05 November 2012 14:09
- Written by Michael Howard
LYNDON – This year a football team is dedicating their season to two local alumni.
Bruce and John Simpson graduated from Lyndon Institute in 1977 and 1984. Saint Johnsbury natives and avid football players for Lyndon Institute, they passed away this year from cancer.
“Bruce was the best player in the state his junior year according to the coach of the shrine game” Kristal Renaudette said. “One year he had the record for the most amount of tackles in a game. “
Bruce Simpson was a varsity lineman for the Vikings freshman year and became captain his senior year after breaking his neck in practice.
After high school he got married and worked on some of his family farms, he then worked for people in the area making cabinetry where he took that knowledge and opened his own business called Simpson Cabinetry.
He was well known for his quality Renaudette said “he did very expensive kitchens that people called world class.”
His brother John played as a linebacker throughout his four years for the Vikings and was also captain his senior year.
“He talked about high school a lot, those were his glory days” said Jackie Simpson ,one of John's daughters “the things they did to freshman and how he loved playing, you could tell he enjoyed high school.”
After high school John got married and worked on the same family farm as his brother Bruce where he had four girls that all attended Lyndon Institute “he was always cracking jokes, picking on you” one of his daughters said “you know the typical dad thing, and he would always say if you ever need anything, I’m always here.”
Going through numerous brain surgeries throughout his life he still kept doing what he loved to do “within 3 days after his surgery, he was back to work, he wouldn’t sit still” said his daughter Jackie.
The Lyndon institute football team honored their families during a home game against North Country September 29th “it makes you very proud of someone” says Simpson,” To see them comeback and honor someone it was great. I think if they came back and saw everyone, I think they would have been amazingly surprised by that.”
