Jared Jay Simpson

The family of Jared Simpson is saddened to announce his passing on June 14, 2026, at the age of 78. He died at home in Belmont, California of a recent illness. Jared was born in Cleveland and raised in various cities in Ohio. He managed to live several lives in one: linguist, social worker, artist, teacher, writer, editor, political activist, and, unexpectedly, a military service member.

Anyone who got to know Jared would do a double-take upon hearing that he served in the U.S. Army. He miraculously received an honorable discharge despite testing the limits of his superiors, and smoking pot while on duty. It was the Vietnam era, and he enlisted with hopes of avoiding getting drafted to the front line. The decision ironically set him on a trajectory that would lead to a lifelong passion for language studies and progressive politics.  

Jared enjoyed the challenge of the Army’s language aptitude test, which revealed his potential to learn languages, and he was relieved when they sent him to the Defense Language Institute at Monterey Bay to develop fluency in Czech before stationing him and his former wife, Susan Henson in Germany. Jared monitored communications between Czechoslovakia and other Eastern European countries as a part of Cold War intelligence efforts. He also became fluent in German to make friends in the community surrounding the base. Before being discharged, his daughter Victoria was born. Little did he know how many interests they would share over a lifetime.

The three returned to Ohio where Jared took advantage of the GI bill to earn a BA in Liberal Arts, and an MA in Sociology at Ohio University. His master’s thesis, “Toward a Radical Theory of Corporate Organization” reflected his steadfast concern for economic equity and labor rights, which spanned his life.

From there, they decided to make the move to California, and Sonoma became their home when they discovered the vibrant arts community during the annual Vintage Festival. Jared worked at the Sonoma State Hospital as a social worker, and through the years, he developed talent in portrait drawing, oil painting, comic art, and photography. Eventually he developed a graphic design and sign painting business, and also designed and built sets for the dance productions that his second wife, Patricia Farrar produced and which Victoria danced in. 

Eventually Jared and Patricia moved to San Francisco seeking a more multicultural community. Jared once again found employment as a social worker, advocating for those with developmental disabilities and those who received public assistance. Jared threw himself into studying Spanish and nurtured a passion for Latin American music and culture. He and Patricia worked in political organizations supporting the FMLN in El Salvador, and the Sandinistas, in Nicaragua. When someone donated a pickup truck to the Sandinista cause, Jared had the adventure of driving it along with supplies through Mexico to Nicaragua. Another adventure included illicitly entering El Salvador as an independent observer of the civil war. In the years following this work, whenever he had a chance to travel, he loved exploring Mexico City and surrounding areas.

In the 90s, Jared was a beloved teacher. He taught English as a Second Language and civics classes to recent immigrants for various organizations, and he met Susan Gold, his wife of 30 years, when they worked for a non-profit teaching English as a Second Language in an immersion program for visiting international students. They discovered they both wrote poetry, and fell for each other as they shared and discussed their work. Central to their relationship were deep discussions about literature, film, TV, art, archetypal psychology and dreams, and the political landscape. They also shared a love of backyard birds, and, over the years, had a number of birds as companion animals.

When they met, Jared was finishing a court interpreter program in order to push his Spanish language skills to the max. Ready for a career change, he got his first job in educational publishing as a translator and Spanish bilingual editor. Translation work eventually led to an executive managing editor position at Red Herring, a cutting edge business magazine in the 1990s. Before retiring, he was the associate director of the communications department at UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall, which became Berkeley Law, and he also edited their alumni magazine.

Jared was a music aficionado with eclectic taste, and for a time even owned a used record store in Sonoma called Love Me Two Times. Music was also a special bond between Jared and Victoria; they shared a love of discovering artists and went to many memorable shows together in San Francisco over the years. He had a particular affinity for jazz and Latin music, and he and Susan Gold enjoyed epic shows in Bay Area and New York venues. Learning to play various instruments and create digital music further deepened his lifelong love of music.

In retirement, Jared was dedicated to exercise, enjoyed cooking, and creating digital art. He took many continuing education classes in Classics, literature, and music appreciation and theory. He was also a voracious reader of news and political perspectives, and wrote scathing comments and emails when sloppy or naive writers set him off. When the political landscape and state of the world got him down, he found solace in video lectures about quantum physics.

Jared had a deep curiosity and a rare ability to become good at almost anything he tried. He moved through life by following his interests, continually developing new artistic skills and ways of seeing the world. He was complex and could have a hard edge at times, but Jared also had a soft side. He was known for his light sense of humor and punning. He felt others’ pain deeply, and he was concerned about animal welfare in addition to social justice. He was young at heart and loved being around young people and encouraging them to develop their talents and go after their dreams. 

Jared is survived by his wife, Susan Gold, daughter, Victoria Simpson, son-in-law, Monte Vallier, siblings, Leonard, Ron, Allan, Joel, Helen, and Joyce, and his brother-in-law, Craig Gold. 

A private family memorial service will be held at a later date. The family appreciates your thoughts and understanding during this time, and asks that you honor Jared’s memory in your own special way.