From the Office of Development & Alumni Relations

Reverend Nancy and Dr. Gregg Simpson have created a scholarship to support students pursuing a career in law enforcement now and in the future.

While neither had the honor of attending Texas Lutheran, they are good friends of the university. Nancy and Gregg met in a Spanish class at the University of Texas at San Antonio (although Gregg had intended to enroll in French). What began as a friendship led to a 40-year marriage. They were married at Hope Lutheran Church in San Antonio, Texas.

Nancy was born and raised in San Antonio as a cradle Lutheran surrounded by family with long careers as San Antonio Police Officers including her dad, uncle, and brother-in-law. She loved going to church with her parents and sister and going to the police station with her dad to check-in on the officers. She says this was her God-given path to being the Lutheran pastor and police chaplain she is today.

Nancy earned her Associate of Applied Science degree in Interior Design from Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, Colorado, her bachelor’s degree in Applied Science in Liberal Arts from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, and her Master of Divinity from the Lutheran Seminary Program of the Southwest in Austin.

After graduating from seminary, Nancy served as associate pastor of Lord of Life Lutheran Church in The Woodlands. Now in her second call, she has served for nine years as the Pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Baytown. She is also a volunteer Chaplain for the Baytown Police Department and Harris County Deputy Constables Precinct 3.

Before going to seminary, she spent 15 years as an interior designer with Ethan Allen/Georgetown Manor in Houston. She and Gregg worked on the same U.S. military base in Pirmasens, Germany. Nancy worked in Civil Service and Gregg was active Army working in an optical laboratory.

Gregg was born in Knoxville, TN and grew up in a military family with medical careers. He is a co-owner of and optometrist with Vision Source in Atascocita where he has worked for the last 30 years. As a child, Gregg lived in on a military base in Ethiopia and later traveled to Kenya and Tanzania to give eye exams and invest in water wells for that region.

He began his medical career in the Army as an optical specialist and later as optical instructor. Enlisted in the U.S. Army for nine years, his duties took him through Europe to assist and support Army optical offices. His degrees include a Bachelor of Science in Technical Management from Regis University in Denver and a Doctor of Optometry from the University of Houston. He enjoys being in the vocal and bell choir at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and volunteering with their the food pantry.