CAPE ELIZABETH – Madeleine Simpson learned nearly two years ago that she had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The fatal neurological disorder attacks the brain and spinal cord until the simplest acts of speaking, swallowing and even breathing become impossible.
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Mrs. Simpson, known by most people as “Maddie,” had every reason to be angry at the world and give up on life. Truth is, she had a lot to lose.
She was married to her husband, Tom Simpson, for 38 years. Together, they owned and operated Shopper’s True Value Hardware in the Mill Creek Plaza in South Portland. The Simpsons raised two children, both of whom grew up in the store and work there today.
They also shared a love for musical theater and made numerous trips to Broadway, Boston’s theater district and the Ogunquit Playhouse.
Mrs. Simpson faced her illness with the same grace, positive outlook and sassy attitude she had throughout her life. She died Tuesday at age 59.
Her daughter, Jessica Simpson, 31, of Cape Elizabeth, said Wednesday that her mother never complained or dwelled on the fact that she had ALS. She accepted the inevitable as best she could.
“She wasn’t negative or bitter about it,” she said. “She just dealt with it. She used to say, ‘It is what it is and you make the best of each and every day.’ My parents still traveled until they couldn’t. (My father) tried to make life as normal as he could for her.”
Mrs. Simpson was vice president and co-owner of Shopper’s True Value Hardware, which she operated with her husband for 30 years. She did the bookkeeping and bought unusual gifts and merchandise for the housewares department.
As her illness progressed, she cut back her hours, but still worked from 9 to 11 a.m. nearly every day. As recently as Friday, she was greeting customers at the hardware store. She had lost her ability to speak, but she still smiled and nodded and gave a hearty thumbs-up to let people know she was OK. Her daughter said the last thing Mrs. Simpson wanted to do was stop working.
“She and my dad both work a gazillion hours a week,” she said. “The store was her life. She loved being around people. So many people would come in specifically to check in on her.”
Mrs. Simpson and her husband lived on McAuley Road in Cape Elizabeth for many years. Lynn Spadinger, her next-door neighbor and one of her closest friends, choked up Wednesday talking about their friendship.
“Maddie dropped whatever she was doing to be a friend,” Spadinger said. “You just don’t get friends like her very often. We had keys to each other’s houses. You showed up at the door when you needed something. She knew she could walk over and be taken care of. She meant the world to me. I feel like the world lost a treasure.”
Mrs. Simpson and her husband celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary last month. Her daughter said they had a great life together.
“We all thought it was amazing that they could work together, go home together and go on vacations,” her daughter said. “They genuinely liked being around each other. They were together all the time. I really think it takes a special couple to be able to do that. You don’t see that a lot.”
Jessica Simpson talked Wednesday about the relationship she had with her mother. She said they were best friends and talked every day until her mother lost her ability to speak over a year ago.
“She was an awesome mom,” her daughter said. “She taught us to be strong and independent. She made me a really good mom. I’m the kind of mom I am today because of her. She raised two really good kids.”
Mrs. Simpson was admitted to the hospital Friday after a week of choking and having difficulty swallowing. Doctors told the family she had pneumonia. Her daughter returned to the hospital Saturday and she was unresponsive. She stopped breathing Tuesday morning.
“How it happened it was a blessing for her,” her daughter said. “She didn’t have to go through the final stages of the disease, which I think scared her as much as it scared us. … I keep telling people that we are functioning. That is all we can do right now.”
Staff Writer Melanie Creamer can be contacted at 791-6361 or at:
mcreamer@pressherald.com
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