Dave Sullivan
Northern News Services

Fort Chipewyan, Alta (Jan 21/02) - John Edward Simpson was a quiet, gentle man who loved being in the bush, say relatives and others who knew the 68-year-old hunter and trapper.

He had a home in Fort Chipewyan but spent much of each winter at his Peace Point camp, near where he was killed last weekend by a charging bison.

"People are aghast that this happened," said Dan Creurer," who runs Keyano College in Fort Chipewyan.

Simpson has been licensed for years to hunt and trap in Wood Buffalo National Park.

He was retired from his summer employment at the park as a fire crew member and watchtower lookout.

"He was a real trapper. He was very gentle, quiet, and a hard worker. He loved kids," said his niece Marlene Poitras.

He was in "excellent health," said Ralph Simpson, a nephew.

He knew the woods and waterways around Fort Chipewyan better than anyone, he said.

Simpson has three grown children. Warren-John and Cindy live in Fort McMurray, a four-hour drive away. Leona lives in Fort Chipewyan.

A two-day wake service to commemorate Simpson's life was held last Wednesday and Thursday.