George M. Simmons, age 80, passed away with his family by his side on Friday, January 5, 2024. He was born on January 10, 1943, in Murphysboro, IL, to George and Mildred Simmons. He graduated with the Class of 1961 of Springfield High School in Springfield, IL. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he participated in the ROTC program, was a member of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, and majored in economics. During his senior year, he married the love of his life, Ruthie. After graduating from the U of I, he served two years stateside in the U.S. Army as a tactical nuclear weapons officer and battery commander at a Nike Hercules nuclear missile site on the south end of Lake Michigan, achieving the rank of Captain. Following his military service, he received an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. He spent his professional career in the specialty chemical manufacturing field, starting with Monsanto. In 1985, he moved his family to Madison, MS, and began working for First Chemical Corporation. For First Chemical, he traveled the world, often accompanied by his wife, and his First Chemical counterpart, Mickey Harbin and his wife Judy, calling on customers throughout Europe and Asia. He retired as president of First Chemical in 2002. He had the honor of serving as a member of the board of directors for and president of the Drug Chemical and Allied Trade Association. His Christian faith guided and inspired him throughout his life. At Grace United Methodist Church in Naperville, IL, he and Ruthie helped found the Questors Sunday school class in 1977. After moving to Mississippi, George was for thirty years that red-headed usher, who always found you a seat at Christ United Methodist Church of Jackson. All his life he enjoyed being outdoors, including walking in the woods, hunting quail, playing golf, and gardening. His love of nature was evident every spring with the blooming of the hundreds of tulips and daffodils that he and Ruthie planted each January. With his wife and daughters, he went on many travel adventures, most often to coastal destinations. As a father and grandfather, he taught two generations of his family to ride bikes and to learn basketball, baseball, and softball fundamentals, cheered on two generations of swimmers at summer and year-round swim competitions, and enjoyed listening to his grandchildren sing in church and school choirs and musicals. Along with being husband and best friend to Ruth Ann, George’s most treasured roles in life were being father to his two daughters and grandpa to his beloved granddaughter and grandson. Known for being a good listener and respected for his insightful guidance, he served as an example, mentor, counselor, motivator, greatest supporter, and friend, who will be greatly missed and remembered always. He was preceded in death by his parents, George Leo and Cora Mildred Simmons of Springfield, IL; his older sister, Mary Ellen Guinan of Auburn, IL; and his infant son Geoffrey Brian Simmons. George is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Ruth Ann Brown Simmons; two daughters, Stephanie Simmons Zenow and her husband, Eric, of Naperville, IL, and Alisa Colleen Simmons of Naperville, IL, and Madison, MS; two amazing grandchildren, Anna Grace Zenow and George Wesley Zenow; younger sister, Martha Simmons Lovett (Richard) of Benton, Kentucky; numerous nieces and nephews; and treasured next-door neighbors and friends. Memorial contributions may be made in his memory to: St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Samaritan’s Purse, and Christ United Jackson. A celebration of his life will be held on Friday, January 12, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., at Natchez Trace Funeral Home, in Madison, MS, with visitation at 10:00 a.m. Interment will take place privately later in 2024.