Simmon Warren "Sim" Simpson

Simmon Warren “Sim” Simpson, age 75, of Grants Pass, died Saturday, January 8, 2011 at Three Rivers Community Hospital.

A celebration of life will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Sunday, January 23, 2011 at the Evergreen Room at Taprock Northwest Grill. For information call Alex at 541-659-4376. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

Sim was born June 5, 1935 in Payson, Utah to Rulyn & Willima Simpson. After he completed his tour of duty in the United States Navy as a deep-sea diver, he started college in interior design because of a desire to design furniture. However, two aunts who owned salons in South Dakota, encouraged him to learn the hair design business. In the early 1960s Sim studied hair design in San Diego and very quickly began working and winning styling competitions. He was a stylist in the television industry for the sitcoms, “Empty Nest,” “Golden Girls,” and “Soap.”

In 1967 after seeing a picture of a young female model in a hairstyling book, he decided he would do even better in competitions if she agreed to let him style her hair. She agreed, and with her as his model, Sim won numerous competitions, including the National Coiffure Creations Championships in 1969. In 1971 on Christmas Day in Las Vegas, Nevada he married his model, Linda Lou Thoren. Together Sim & Linda owned two California salons, Sim & Friends in Carmel and Procutters Plus in Monterey. Sim was also Director of Education for Redken Laboratories in Los Angeles, where he was responsible for creating video textbooks on styling and cutting for beauty colleges. He also wrote seven books on hair design and was a guest artist and lecturer throughout the United States, Canada, and Japan.

In 1989 Sim & Linda moved from California to Grants Pass, Oregon where they owned and operated the Grants Pass College of Beauty from 1991 to 1994. In 1993 they wrote and directed, Sparky the Safety Saurus, a children’s film about avoiding strangers, filmed locally, and Sim played the part of the dinosaur. They later owned and operated Sim & Friends Salon & Art Gallery and presently Sim owned and operated Riverside Salon, Day Spa, & Gallery.

In 1993 Sim was inducted into the California Cosmetology Association Hall of Fame. During Sim’s career he won 78 national and international awards for his hair creations. He was also an accomplished artist and sold many of his sculptures. A copper sculpture of swimming salmon that he created, entitled “Going Home,” is displayed in the Grants Pass City Council Chambers. Sim donated many hours for hair and wig styling for women during breast cancer treatment. He also donated sculptures for the Women’s Crisis Support Team.

His hobbies included collecting media for his art projects, metal sculpturing, fly fishing, and especially enjoying the ocean and beaches.

Survivors include many loving friends and a sister-in-law, Nancy Siragusa.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Linda Simpson in 2001 and his parents.