Obituary of Richard Simensen

Richard J. Simensen

Richard Simensen, age 85, of Columbia passed away June 9, 2019 at Lexington Medical Center after a joyful day with family.

Richard was born to Martin and Margaret Simensen on January 28, 1934 in Salem, New Hampshire. He attended public schools and graduated from Woodbury High School in 1953. He enlisted in the Regular Army in January 1954. He served in Okinawa, Japan, and Korea.

Upon discharge, he attended the University of New Hampshire. He transferred to Keene Teachers College and graduated in 1961. He taught in public schools for 2 years in New Hampshire and 2 years in Maryland.

In 1963, he fortunately married Helen Raysor Prickett Simensen, a union that has been supportive and exciting for 55 wonderful years. The union brought forth two children, Erik and Sunna.

He was selected as a fellow at the University of Maryland and earned an MS and PhD. He joined the faculty at Old Dominion University and subsequently at Armstrong State College in Savannah, Georgia. He received a postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology from Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston. Upon completion of the fellowship, he affiliated with the Greenwood Genetic Center in Greenwood, SC. He participated in genetic research and authored or co-authored over 100 articles of professional literature. He presented papers at professional meetings in the USA, Canada, and Europe. He was appointed to the faculty of the Family Medicine Residency Program at Self Memorial Hospital, serving as Coordinator of Behavioral Sciences, from which he retired after 20 years of service.

He is remembered as kind, loyal, and an avid golfer, who was always eager to share a joke with friends and family. He loved and laughed with his whole heart and will be missed by many. He is survived by his loving wife, Helen Raysor; son Erik and wife Kristen of Columbia; his daughter Sunna of San Antonio, Texas; granddaughter Margaret of Columbia; grandson Alex Smith of San Antonio; sister, Donna Wienges of St. Matthews; and nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents and brother, Marty.

At his request, no funeral will be held. The family will receive friends and family for a small, informal gathering at home on Saturday, June 15th between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m., located at 111 Miles Park Drive in Columbia. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Greenwood Genetic Foundation, the Babcock Center Foundation, or a charity of your choice.