Lady Roberta Simpson of Barbados, author, philanthropist and GOD TV personality, died Aug. 12, 2021, two days shy of her 85th birthday.
Lady Roberta leaves behind her husband, Sir Kyffin Simpson; five children, Debbie, Ward, Kim, Heidi and David; nine grandchildren, Rafi, Netanya, Nathan, Alexander, Sam, Kyffin and Sofia, Kyffin and Charlie; two great-grandchildren, Olive and Vivienne; and her brother, David Roy.
Lady Roberta was born in England and moved to Barbados as a young adult. Her dad, Harry Roy, was a famous Jewish bandleader in England who changed his name during World War II to protect his family from Jewish hatred and antisemitism. Roberta came to know Christ in her 30s and never looked back. She loved life, loved people and most importantly, loved God.
She devoted her life to the service of Christ through numerous means, including home Bible studies for youth and adults; church ministry; music ministry as a singer; coffee houses; evangelical events, campaigns and crusades; television ministry; writing Christian children’s books; and making herself available to all who needed counsel, prayer and comfort. Lady Roberta’s home was constantly filled with guests and friends who had come to town to share the love of God.
Our mum was amazing! She was also a trooper, always on the move looking for the next challenge. We would always have to remind her to slow down or be careful. Sometimes she acted as though she was still 35, always ready to jump right in with the great-grandkids as though she were still a youth. Many marveled at her stamina and youthful appearance as she lived, day after day making the most of life. Mum traveled the world with our dad by her side, and everywhere she went, she left a mark. This serves as testament to the countless calls, emails, letters and so on from people whose lives were touched by her love for Jesus.
Mum led us all to Christ from an early age and prayed us back into the kingdom when we lost our way. She would never say no, never give up, never back down. Her children and grandchildren are all serving God, thanks to her devotion to Him. Mum is also an example of “never too old or too late.” She began to write books at age 70 because she would not give up on her passion to write even while facing opposition and discouragement. Her three books, Nana’s Bible Stories, Tales of the Ark and A Christmas Story have been distributed around the world and will continue to impact lives even as she has passed. This is legacy at work.
This was her last word to all of us before she even grew ill: To leave a legacy behind. To live for Christ so that even in dying, her life would live on and impact lives around the world.
One interesting fact that many may not know is that our mum was part of the royal family of Sarawak. The Raj of Sarawak, also State of Sarawak, located in the northwestern part of the island of Borneo, was an independent state that later became a British protectorate. It was established as an independent state from a series of land concessions acquired by an Englishman, James Brooke, from the sultan of Brunei. Lady Roberta’s grandmother Sylvia Brooke was the Ranee of Sarawak, known as the queen of the headhunters. It is a fascinating story.
Mum was an excellent communicator and filmed a number of shows on GOD TV, part of her legacy, which shares the Good News of Jesus Christ to over 300 million connected homes around the world as well as to everyone with internet connectivity through its digital platforms.
Lady Roberta was a loyal and faithful wife, loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, amazing mother-in-law and true friend. Most importantly, she was devoted and committed to the cause of Christ. Her passion for Jesus was her primary concern because she knew that He was her source, the lover of her soul, her Lord, Savior, Master and King.
Lady Roberta: Her passion provokes us, her devotion drives us, her faith inspires us, and her love compels us. She has fought the good fight, finished her race and kept the faith. In Hebrew, there is no word for goodbye but instead we say, “Until we meet again” (Le’hitra’ot). So, to Lady Roberta, we all say, “Le’hitra’ot, until we meet again.”
This is our comfort, this is our joy, that one day we will be together again. Roberta lived the Scripture “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain ” (Phil. 1:21, NIV). She now lives the following Scripture: “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8, NKJV).
Editor’s Note: Be sure to listen to Charisma CEO Stephen Strang’s fascinating interview with GOD TV CEO Ward Simpson about his mother, Lady Roberta Simpson, at this link. {eoa}
Ward Simpson is president and CEO of GOD TV.
