When people remember Freddie Simpson, they often mention his smile, his friendly nature, and the sometimes corny “dad jokes” that he recited at the beginning of each shift.
“He gave the best hugs in the world,” recalled Leslie Kesler, senior director of rehab services for Novant Health.
On Aug. 10, 2025, Freddie Simpson passed away after experiencing cardiac arrest. Exactly one year later, family and friends honored his legacy at a celebration on the patio of Novant Health New Hanover Regional Rehabilitation Hospital.
Freddie Simpson worked at the Rehabilitation Hospital for 24 years and served as the rehab nurse manager for the last 18 years. Those who worked with him say that he made an impact on his colleagues, his patients, and the community,
and because he grew up in the area.
“It’s almost amazing to think of anybody that Freddie didn’t know,” Kesler said. “Because he could make friends in a second, and he also had all these connections.”
She recalled one point during his employment where he knew several of the patients on a single hall, including his Sunday school teacher, one of his high school teachers, and a person he knew from his childhood in Pender County.
“It wasn’t even the 7 degrees of Freddie; it was more like the 3 degrees,” Kesler said.
Freddie Simpson is also remembered for his dedication to the nursing profession. His daughter Emma Simpson said his colleagues and his patients meant a lot to him, and he especially enjoyed working with high school students in the High School Healthcare Explorers program.
“That was his favorite thing in the world,” Emma Simpson said.
When family, friends and colleagues gathered to honor Freddie Simpson’s life on Aug. 10, 2026, they shared stories about his humor, and his dedication to his career. In honoring his life, they also spoke about how he continued to help others after he died by being an organ donor.
Emma Simpson said while she doesn’t think there will ever be anything “big enough or crazy enough” to honor her dad, she was glad to be able to have the ceremony at the hospital because she believes he would have loved it.
Also, because of Freddie Simpson’s dedication to nursing and their love for him, his family and colleagues decided the best way to honor his legacy would be to establish a scholarship in his name for employees at the Rehabilitation Hospital.
During the ceremony, Emma Simpson and her brother Davis Simpson presented the first two Freddie Simpson Memorial Professional Development Awards to Stephen Lind and Fiona Zinn.
Emma Simpson believes that if her dad had seen the ceremony, he would first pick on her a little, but then he would tell her how proud he was of her. She said he would be pleased about the scholarships because he enjoyed seeing nurses continue their education, and she hopes to continue the tradition each year so that his legacy can continue.
“He was a once-in-a-lifetime guy,” Emma Simpson said.
Renee Spencer is the community engagement editor at the StarNews. Reach her at rspencer@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington nurse's legacy lives on through new scholarships
