Marita Laura Simpson

Writer, Filmmaker, and Preserver of Women’s Voices

August 18, 1940 – March 29, 2026

Marita Giovanni Simpson, a writer and independent filmmaker, passed away on March 29, 2026. She was 85 years old.

Born on August 18, 1940, in Martinsville, VA, Marita was drawn to film and theater from the start. She earned a BA in Dramatic Arts at Boston University, producing short films and directing and acting in college performances. Her classmate was Faye Dunaway. Later, in New York City’s experimental theatre movement, she directed and worked on various productions with Tyne Daly, Megan Terry, and La MaMa Theatre. She was an early graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts (Film and Television).

In New York City, Simpson began her documentary film work, collaborating with Martha Wheelock and Ishtar Films on World of Light: A Portrait of May Sarton (1978), an intimate and enduring film about the celebrated poet and novelist. Filmed in Sarton’s later years, the documentary captures the writer’s reflections on solitude, creativity, aging, and the discipline of a life devoted to art. Simpson’s direction created an intimate space in which Sarton’s voice could speak directly to audiences—unfiltered, thoughtful, and profoundly human. Simpson was also a vital part of other films on women creators, produced by Ishtar Films: Kate Chopin, Madeleine L’Engle, Berenice Abbott, and Katherine Mansfield. Her work also included historical storytelling, such as California Women Win the Vote! (2011), a film honoring the women of the 1911 California suffrage movement, and Inez Milholland: Forward into Light (2016), a portrait of the suffrage martyr. In an era when women’s stories were often overlooked, Marita Simpson worked to make them visible.

Marita moved to Los Angeles in 1986 and worked with Celebration Theatre, a predominantly gay and lesbian creative space and venue. In 1994, Simpson directed one of the first lesbian-themed romantic comedy films, Bar Girls. She wrote the teleplay A Ring of Endless Light (2002) for the Disney Channel, starring Mischa Barton and James Whitmore, and based on the novel by Madeleine L’Engle. A Ring of Endless Light is now available on Disney+ and won the distinguished Humanitas Award in 2003 for Children’s Live Action.

Marita Simpson is survived by her brother, John Simpson; her sister, Margaret Deer; and her beloved nieces, Shayna and Laura, who were present at Marita’s passing, as well as East Coast nieces and nephews Rose, Paul, Nick, and Erica. Marita leaves behind a special “family” of close and loving friends, among them Martha Wheelock, Gelya Frank, and her daughter Rebecca S’manga Frank. We cherish the memory of Marita as a blessing.