Eva Best Simpson – Major, United States Marine Corps

EVA BEST SIMPSON, AN EX-MARINE, 61
Leader of Wartime Unit Dies – On The Times 20 Years

EUSTIS, Florida, October 13, 1966 – Eva Best Simpson, who led the first contingent of Marine Corps Women Reservists into the Pacific Theater during World War II, died last night in Waterman Memorial Hospital here.  She was 61 years old.

Miss Simpson, who had lived here with her mother, Mrs. James Simpson, since 1962, worked for The New York Times from 1931 to 1951, except for her military leave, first as a secretary and later as a picture editor for the Sunday Magazine.

She resigned to become executive assistant to Cornelius Crane, explorer, archaeologist and heir t a fortune left by his father, president of the Crane Company, manufacturers of plumbing fixtures.  Miss Simpson helped Mr. Crane with his philanthropies in Tahiti and in this country.

From 1961 to 1962 she worked for the American Heart Association in New York, then retired to Eustis.  In recent years she was active as a volunteer in a school for retarded children in Orlando.

Miss Simpson joined the Marine Corps in 1943.  As a Captain she took her contingent to “Lady Marines” to Hawaii and later won the Bronze Star and a citation for outstanding performance of duty there.  She was officer in charge of assigning replacements to Marine Corps units. When she was discharged in 1946 she became a Major in the reserves.

She was born in Camden, New Jersey and was graduated from Bradford Academy and from Smith College.

Surviving, besides her mother, are two brothers, Harold of Rumford, New Jersey and James, of Auburn, New York.

There will be a memorial service Saturday in Eustis and a military funeral Friday, October 21 in Arlington National Cemetery.


SIMPSON, EVA B
MAJ RES CAPT USMCR
DATE OF BIRTH: 11/14/1904
DATE OF DEATH: 10/12/1966
BURIED AT: SECTION 37  SITE 346
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

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