Dr. Harry “Doc” Simpson Jr., DDS, of Gloucester was honored by the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula last Thursday for his 50 years of service as a board member with the organization.

Simpson, who was instrumental in the opening of the Gloucester Boys & Girls Club at Hayes, is only the second person in the history of the 72-year-old organization to have attained such a long record of service, said a press release.

He was one of the first members of the club when it opened in 1946, and was named “Boy of the Year” five times.

“Doc Simpson has touched every policy and success of Boys & Girls Clubs for the past 50 years, and done so with an unmatched passion and enthusiasm,” said Tom Oliasen, former executive director of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula and friend of Simpson.

Simpson worked tirelessly to secure a location for the Gloucester club and helped prepare it for its grand opening on April 3, 2003. Over ...