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Hamish Ian Fisher Simpson
July 31, 1936 - May 31, 2025
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Hamish Ian Fisher Simpson died peacefully, surrounded by family, at Lady Minto Hospital on Salt Spring Island, May 31, 2025.
Born on July 31, 1936 to parents Ian and Florence Simpson, Hamish was raised in Victoria, where he excelled in the classroom and on the sports field. He graduated from UBC with a BA in History and Math, studied Theology at Princeton for a year and earned his Diploma of Education from Oxford University.
In 1960 Hamish joined the teaching staff at Glenlyon School in Oak Bay and four years later, at the age of just 28, replaced his father as Head of School. He would lead Glenlyon for 18 years, overseeing a doubling of enrollment, a dramatic building expansion and transitioning the school from private ownership to nonprofit governance.
During that time he met and married Tricia McNulty, a young teacher from England, and they had three children.
In the late 1960s Hamish bought property near Vesuvius Bay on Salt Spring Island which would serve first as a summer retreat and eventually as a home and venue for many joyful family gatherings.
In 1982 Hamish left Glenlyon to become Director of Pearson College United World College, relocating to the picturesque Pedder Bay campus near the southern tip of Vancouver Island.
After four years at Pearson the Simpsons traded the forests of Pedder Bay for the towers of midtown Toronto when Hamish was appointed Headmaster of Upper Canada College Prep School. In his 14 years at UCC he was involved in a multi-million dollar revitalization of the Prep School.
Before his retirement in 2000 Hamish had been a head of school for 36 years–the longest tenured leader in Canadian Independent Schools, with an immeasurable impact on the lives of thousands of students, teachers and fellow administrators.
In retirement Hamish stayed active in Victoria and on Salt Spring Island volunteering in various trustee and board roles, and maintaining keen interest in the welfare of Glenlyon Norfolk School where, just last year, he was delighted to be honoured with a new building dedicated in the family name.
He was also an avid golfer and long-time member of Victoria Golf Club, and served terms as both Men’s Captain and President of Salt Spring Island Golf Club.
Hamish loved people and people tended to reciprocate. He could and would talk to anybody. He was smart and accomplished, but carried himself with unusual grace and humility. He was curious, kind and patient—a gentleman, in the truest sense.
He was a devoted husband to Tricia, loving father of Andrew (Jennifer), Rachel and Sara (Mike) and adoring grandfather of Addison, Lilian, William, JJ, Annabelle and Matthew. Predeceased by his sister Sally, Hamish was also very fond of his nieces Anne, Jane and Gail. He will be missed immensely.
A celebration of life will be held later this summer. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to the Glenlyon Norfolk School Foundation Financial Aid Endowment.
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From: Haywards Funerals
Haywards Funerals staff send our condolences to family and friends.
From: W Paterson Ferns, C.M.
Relation: Colleague and friend
I have just learned of Hamish’s passing. He was a great friend and influence. I spent my gap year teaching at Glenlyon during the transition from father to son as Headmaster. (1963-64) I had a wonderful year thanks to the Simpson Family, the staff, parents and boys. Hamish and Tricia became very close as we each created our families: both our first sons were named Andrew. Both our second children were girls. Our third was a boy and theirs a girl. We reconnected in Toronto when Hamish was Headmaster of the Prep School at UCC and my Andrew was a pupil. We all visited on Salts Spring. Hamish was good man, a fine educator and a terrific husband and father. He will be missed and will remain strongly in my memory as the best of friends. May he rest in peace.
From: Derek Wilkinson
Relation: Student at Glenlyon School when Mr. Simpson was headmaster
Mr. Simpson was the headmaster at Glenlyon when I attended there from 1972 to 1977, and always presented a wonderful example of living your life with community, integrity, and service. I remember him once telling me that it isn’t enough to just go out and do the sports and activities you enjoy; if you like doing those things you must also support them with your time and talents. I recall questioning him as to where the fun was in doing that, but Mr. Simpson promised me that by helping others it would make my participation much more enjoyable. And 48 years and many thousands of volunteer hours later my life has been immeasurable enriched by that one simple life lesson. Rudyard Kipling wrote a book about his school experiences, and he prefaced that book with a poem that applies to many teachers, and definitely to Mr. Simpson. The first verse says:
“Let us now praise famous men, men of little showing. For their work continueth, broad and deep continueth, long and strong continueth, far beyond their knowing”
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