Roger William Simpkins

Roger William Simpkins, Sr., age 91, died on April 24, 2017, at Thrive Senior Living in Murrells Inlet, SC. Born in 1926, he was the son of William T. Simpkins and Mabel Bacckus Simpkins of Mt. Vernon, MD. His wife of 61 years, Marilyn, died in 2013. Roger graduated from Washington High School in Princess Anne, MD, in 1943 and served in the US Navy from 1943 to 1946. He graduated from Western Maryland College in 1949 with majors in mathematics and economics. At the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, and the Lyden University, Lyden, Holland, he pursued additional studies. Roger was employed by the FDIC from 1951 to 1955. He left that federal agency as a Senior Bank Examiner and came to The Chestertown Bank of MD, on August 1, 1955. He was the CEO of Chestertown Bank for 35 years. In addition to his local bank responsibilities, he served as a director of Mercantile Bankshares Corporation of Baltimore, MD, for over 20 years. He was active in the Maryland Bankers Association, chairing numerous committees and serving as its president from 1971-1972. He was also State Vice President of the American Bankers Association and served as a Trustee of the Maryland-Virginia Banker School at the University of Virginia. Roger was active in the community. He was a 35-year member of the local Rotary Club and served on the Boards of the local Red Cross, Chestertown Businessmen’s Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and the United Fund. He was also a trustee of Kent School, Gunston School, and the Kent County Library. He was a founding member and director of the Chester Sassafras Foundation. Active in the negotiations that brought Heron Point Retirement Community to Chestertown, he served two years on the Heron point Board of Directors and was a member of the PUMH Foundation Board. He and his wife moved to Heron Point in 2007. A member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church for over 55 years, he served three terms on its Vestry and was a long-term member of the Finance Committee. For over 50 years, he was a member of the Chester River Yacht and Country Club where he twice served as president. He enjoyed golf and played in a foursome with his friends: Bill Cooper, Ernie Cookerly and Lawson Cording for over 40 years. His other hobbies included woodworking and gardening. He is survived by his son, Roger, Jr. (Debbie) and his daughter, Sarah Cralle (John); two grandchildren, John Tyler Cralle, Sydney C. Camperlengo (Joe); a step-grandson Seth Holek (Jen); and a great granddaughter, Kayla Holek. A second daughter, Mary Ellen, predeceased him in 1971. His beloved dogs, Mickie and Minnie, will miss him. A Service in Celebration and Thanksgiving for the life of Roger will take place on Saturday, May 13, at 3pm at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Chestertown. An interment service will be held at at St. Paul’s Cemetery, Sandy Bottom Rd., Chestertown, MD, at 1pm.