Following the untimely death of his father
in 1941, he and his mother managed the family Dairy Farm,
Hilltop Dairy, Simmons and Son until 1949 when he sold his
herd of purebred Holsteins. He then took the job of Dairy
Farm Manager at Potomac State College of WVU in Keyser,
W.Va. He captured the heart of Frances Tuckwiller and they
were married on August 11, 1951. His mother, Julia, became
ill and they returned to Alderson in the fall of 1952. He
was hired by the Housby Brothers to manage Johnson & Gwinn
Hardware Store. While there, he began to sell awnings for
his friend, Marc Hedrick. Soon he decided to try it on his
own. He was the owner and operator of Simmons Building
Specialties in Alderson, W.Va. from 1954–1996, doing what he
loved–selling his products and talking to people in five
counties.
Mr. Simmons was a member of the Johnson
Memorial United Methodist Church in Alderson, where he
taught Intermediate Sunday School Class for 17 years and was
an active member of the United Methodist Men. He was also a
Charter Member of the Alderson Lions Club and was still
active after 69 years and was a member of the Coach A. A.
McLaughlin Scholarship Fund. He served on the Board of
Directors of the First National Bank of Alderson and City
National Bank for 27 years; was a Life Scout of the Boy
Scouts of America; 4-H All Stars; an initial member of the
Greenbrier County Planning Commission; the Hinton-Alderson
Development Corporation, which brought a sewing plant to
Pence Springs, W.Va., which had 100 employees; was an
initial member of the Greenbrier Valley Chamber of Commerce;
and also served on Alderson’s Town Council and was
instrumental in acquiring the land for Alderson’s City Park.
One of the highlights of his life was attending WVU football
games with his dear friends, Judge Charles M. Lobban and
Rodney Pack. In his early days, after getting his pilot’s
license, he enjoyed flying over Greenbrier County, and he
was also a C & O Railroad enthusiast who enjoyed watching
the trains come through Alderson. Mr. Simmons was proud of
his Irish heritage and was known and will always be
remembered for his kind and gentle humor as well as his
radiant, winning, smile.
Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Frances Tuckwiller
Simmons of Alderson, W.Va.; four children, Dr. Michael
Simmons and his wife, Pamela, of Baltimore, Md., Julia
Shafer and her husband, Allen, of Lewisburg, W.Va., Margaret
"Margy" Simmons of Alderson, W.Va., and Thomas Simmons and
his wife, Belinda, of Princeton, W.Va.; four grandchildren,
Laura Simmons of New York, N.Y., Brittany Lane and her
husband, Joshua, of Princeton, W.Va., Jessica Bulson and her
husband, Taylor, of Bluefield, W.Va., and Benjamin Simmons
of Princeton, W.Va.; one great granddaughter, Nobalee Lane
of Princeton, W.Va.; a brother-in-law, Sam Tuckwiller and
his wife, Mary Lou, of Lewisburg, W.Va.; a sister-in-law,
Ruth Sweet of Lewisburg, W.Va.; and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be Saturday, May 20, 2017 at 11:00
a.m. at the Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church in
Alderson, W.Va., with the Rev. Rick Duncan, Rev. Sam Groves,
and Rev. Dr. Richard Lohmeyer officiating. Burial will
follow in the Alderson Cemetery, Alderson, W.Va. Friends may
call Friday, May 19, 2017 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the
Lobban Funeral Home, Alderson, W.Va., and one hour prior to
services at the Church on Saturday.
Serving as pallbearers will be Jack Tuckwiller, Slater
Tuckwiller, Reese Tuckwiller, Matthew Tuckwiller, Byron
Tuckwiller, and Ben Tuckwiller.
For those considering an expression of sympathy, donations
may be made to the Alderson Lions Club, P.O. Box 849,
Alderson, WV 24910 or to the Alderson Ministerial
Association, P.O. Box 641, Alderson, WV 24910.
Arrangements by Lobban Funeral Home, Alderson, W.Va.
(Source: Town Of Alderson Face Book)
Celebration of Bill's 90th birthday.
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