Robert (Bob) L. Simpson, 76, activist and teacher, died on Nov. 18, 2023. Born on Aug. 5, 1947 in Washington D.C., he moved to Chicago when he was 26. He graduated from Springbrook High School in Montgomery County, Maryland, and from the University of Maryland College Park with a BA in English Literature, Secondary Education. He later earned an MA in Urban Education from Catholic University and an MA in History from Northeastern Illinois University.
He was a teacher throughout his life, first in the District of Columbia schools, at the City Colleges of Chicago, and 15 years as a high school history teacher in Chicago’s Catholic school system.
In Chicago he and Carol formed a partnership that published a comic-book style history of the United States viewed through a radical lens. The two also produced hundreds of labor cartoons under the name Carol Simpson CartoonWork. A new website of all 800+ cartoons will be live in a few months at cartoonwork.com.
He later concentrated on the business end of their home-based enterprise, WebTrax Studio, and he wrote for his own blog, “The BobboSphere,” and contributed regularly to the Daily Kos and other online publications.
He was a member of several labor unions, including AFSCME Local 1072; Washington Teachers Union Local 6, AFT; and the National Writers Union. A lifelong activist, he was a visible face on the Chicago left, attending hundreds of demonstrations. Later in life he began chronicling activist events through photos that he provided free to the sponsoring organizations and individuals.
His activism was cut short by a stroke in November 2016, but he continued to contribute to the cause through Facebook and other social media musings.
Bob Simpson is survived by his wife, Estelle Carol; his children, Dana and Colin; his sister, Sheila Chapelle; and his brother, Craig Simpson.
A memorial will be held in spring 2024.View Bob’s photos (nature & activism), political cartoons, writings, and more biographical details on his memorial website at www.robertLsimpson.com, which will be live on Nov. 29. Contact Estelle Carol at 708-616-6473.