Jonathan Daniel Simmons

JON SIMMONS passed away peacefully at his home at 4:10pm on Saturday, March 20, with his wife and stepson, Brock by his side. He had family gathered at home with him. Jon was 73 years old and was predeceased by his parents: Robert Luther Simmons, Jr and Mary Alice Bragg Simmons. He is survived by his loving wife, AbbieRose Mansour; his sons, Jonathan Simmons Jr and Wick Simmons; his stepchildren, Dane Mansour Hokanson (Jessica), AbbiElise Mansour-Hokanson Flanigan (David) and Brock Mansour Hokanson (Rebecca). He is also survived by his sisters Eleni Carol Simmons and Allison S. Tobin Clark; a brother, Robert Bonham Simmons (Camille); and several nieces and nephews. Those are the facts: This is who my Jon was… He was my heart—my partner. My fellow traveler, my adventure seeker, my cooking mate. My Jon, was an ART, MUSEUM and OPERA LOVER. Jon was the rhythm that made the music in my soul sway. He was a great historian, an avid reader, a writer and a self-proclaimed philosopher. He was the “fixer” of all things, the contractor/engineer, “this is how you do it kind of guy”. My out-of-the-box thinking drove him nuts, and when it worked, he was aggravated though, admittedly, proud of me. He became a dominoes demon who cherished his dominoes monthly gatherings. Jon was a crusty sire, but very generous. Once you pushed thru the thorns and weeds to get to him, you found his true heart and couldn’t help but love him. He accepted my huge family with open arms, and treated them as if he had always been there with them. Likewise, long-standing friendships were important to Jon. His Sat morning breakfast guys were vital, reality checks and supportive relationships to him and he still kept in touch with his fraternity partners-in-crime. And though you may not see him in church often, he had regular, sometimes even humorous, conversations with God. My Jon was a button pusher. Most people didn’t understand that part of him, but actually it was easy if you could separate yourself long enough to take a deeper look. Jon loved competition and debate. He respected thinkers and demanded that others support their arguments. If you could take a step back, posture up, stay calm, be direct, then fire off your facts, figures, stats and beliefs…you always won or at least learned something while talking with Jon. Those conversations gave others the opportunity to know more about their true beliefs, research and ideas that didn’t make sense once they heard them out loud. It could be the ultimate teaching experience if you were wise enough to see it. It was the only way to also make the “teacher” THINK and let him know when he may be just full of it. Sometimes it even took him a day or two to see, but at least he considered. On the surface, people may say that my Jon just loved to argue and would have made a good trial attorney…oh but he was so much more. My Jon had many hobbies. He was a creative costumer, be it for theatre, a school project for his sons or just halloween. He was a Scout through and through from childhood to leadership as an adult. His competitive nature made him become the “best and award winning” when taking up a cause or a challenge. He was an athlete. HE WAS A PRESENCE. For over 40 years, Jonathan Simmons owned and operated his own successful company with most of his knowledge being self-taught. He became my support and allowed me to share a love much more than he or I had ever experienced before. Life with him was an adventure. So, yes, my Jon was my heart and my partner. May he rest in God’s love and hold a place for me to join him once again. — His Abbie-doodle Special thanks to all of the family and many friends that supported us through Jon illnesses and to the many doctors and nurses who came to his aid. There was a family dinner in his honor on March 21st. Abbie will be accepting visits and stories from family and friends during the next few months to insure their personal closure. Any donations in Jon’s honor may be sent to St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at www.StJude.org/donate.