May 31, 1937 - November 24, 2022
In loving memory ~
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Don Simmons. Dad passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Nov 24, 2022 at the age of 85.
Dad was born in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan on May 31, 1937 to Merrill & Lewella Simmons, he was the youngest of 7 children. They were raised on the family farm in Scotsguard. After leaving school dad helped out on the family farm before heading west to Hope BC with 2 pals. There he reunited with his sister Irene & brother-in-law Bud who helped the 3 young men get on with the BC Telephone Company. Dad later transferred to Creston with BC Tel where he met & later married mom, Bernice Mellen. They moved to Cranbrook for a few years before settling back in Erickson. Not long after that they purchased the 20 acre parcel in beautiful Canyon where they raised their daughters Margie & Karen. Dad loved all aspects of farming - he especially enjoyed riding horses & participating in gymkhanas with his daughters.
As a family we made many trips to Shaunavon to visit relatives & Dad always loved the trip that involved helping family harvest.
Dad retired from BC Tel after 36 years in 1993 from a job that he loved. This gave him more time to farm, work on mom's honey do list, play ball, curl, have coffee with his buddies & always help anyone who needed a hand.
In the late spring of 2021 Dad made the difficult decision to sell his farm & he then moved into Crest View Village that summer. His dementia started taking a greater toll & Dad had to move to Swan Valley Extended Care in September 2022.
Dad was a gentle, patient, loving soul. He had a beaming smile, a great laugh & a big wave that will never be forgotten by anyone he met - Dad will be greatly missed by all.
A special thank you to the residents & staff of Crest View - Dad thoroughly enjoyed his time with you all. Thank you to the staff at Swan Valley for their great care & compassion for dad - we are so grateful. Thank you to Dr Oberleitner for your care of dad over the years. Dad loved the Creston Valley & had so many great friendships there - we truly thank you all.
Dad was predeceased by his wife Bernice in 2012, father Merrill, mother Lewella, step-mother Hattie, sisters Helen (Robert Sonsteby), Irene (Bud Traun), Dallas (Bob Bolianitz), brothers Bud (Dolly), Roy & brother-in-law Lawrence Lind.
Dad is survived by daughters Margie (Jim Edmondson), grand puppy Brody & Karen, grandchildren Brayden & Alyssa all of Kelowna. Sister Ruby & sister-in-law Della as well as many nieces & nephews.
We will be celebrating Dad's amazing life in the spring of 2023 in Creston, additional details to follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alzheimer Society of BC would be greatly appreciated.