Wayne Geiger Simpson, 85, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and formerly of West Milford, New Jersey, passed away on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.

Born on November 5, 1940, in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, he was the son of the late Alice Geiger and David Simpson, and the beloved middle brother of Jean Berardi of Anaheim, California, and Bruce Simpson of Fort Worth, Texas.

Wayne enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1964 and served as an infantryman in Vietnam, an experience that provided the foundation for his lifelong affection for the Marine Corps. During his 40+ year career as an electrician, he was highly respected by his peers, fellow tradesmen, and customers due to his work ethic, integrity, and ability to solve most any problem. His creative mind and passion for construction extended outside of work, where he thoroughly enjoyed working on all types of home improvement projects in his spare time. He took particular pride in maintaining (some might say obsessing over) his lawn and surrounding landscaping. The smell of freshly cut grass and the sight of neatly trimmed bushes & newly planted flowers brought him great joy.

Wayne loved sports-playing, watching, and cheering. He grew up playing baseball and following the New York Baseball Giants. After they broke his heart by moving to San Francisco in 1958, he adopted the New York Mets and experienced the highs and lows (more lows than highs) of being a Mets fan over the past 60 years. As an adult, he played in softball leagues, became certified as a Little Leage Baseball umpire, and was always available for a game of catch, backyard wiffleball, and batting practice with his kids and their friends.

Wayne also loved the ocean, especially time spent on family vacations to Long Beach Island, on annual trips to Cancun, and during the last 15 years in Mount Pleasant. He had a lifelong love of music, initially cultivated as a trombone player in the high school marching band and later expressed by filling the house with big band, ragtime, swing, and military marching band music. His music collection was extensive and included all known mediums, including records, 8 track tapes, cassette tapes, CDs, and most recently, Amazon Alexa.

Wayne had a joyful personality and often had a mischievous glint in his eye. He had a quick, witty sense of humor and rarely missed a chance to share a joke and make people laugh. Many of his jokes he made up himself - some were funny (some weren't) - and it wasn't uncommon for him to start giggling to himself in the middle of delivering the punch line. His sense of humor brought a warmth to any room his was in.

Wayne is survived by his wife of 57 years, Joan Duby Simpson; his son, Brad (Kelly) Simpson of Winston-Salem, North Carolina; his daughter, Laura (Ryan) Bellows of Ithaca, New York; and his three grandchildren, Eva Simpson, Reid Simpson, and Colin Bellows.

A celebration of life will be held in West Milford, New Jersey, later this spring.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Marine Corps Toys for Tots or the Wounded Warrior Project in his name.

Expressions of sympathy may be submitted online at mcalister-smith.com.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to McAlister-Smith Funeral and Cremation, 1520 Rifle Range Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464, (843) 884-3833.