Garry I. Simmons

Garry I. Simmons, age 90, of Pequannock, went home to be with the Lord on Friday, May 15, 2020.

Garry was born in St Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson in the summer of 1929. He spent his formative years growing up in Hawthorne where he graduated from Hawthorne High School.

As a young man, Garry met a loving young lady named Margaret Jean Smith and eventually they married. They were blessed with their son Garry T. Simmons and their daughter Kimberly.

Garry’s lifelong career path was somewhat two-tiered. On one hand, for most of his life, Garry drove a variety of different vehicles. When his children were very young, he ran a milk route for Sicomac Dairy of Wyckoff. He also drove limousines for various livery services, one of them being Executive Limousine of Midland Park. In recent years, driving involved getting behind the wheel of a much larger and brighter colored vehicle when he took on a job as a school bus driver for Jordan Transportation of Butler. Garry loved that job and kept driving all the way up to the age of 86. Interspersed between these various jobs, Garry held positions in various Christian ministerial work. While running his milk route, he spent evenings studying at home in pursuit of a degree in Pastoral Theology from a local bible college. He ultimately graduated and, although he never accepted a call to be the full-time minister of a church, working in Christian ministry did play a prominent role throughout the rest of his life. One of those ministries included moving his family to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he worked for a Christian organization called Youth Guidance Ministry (YGI). He later followed one of his YGI coworkers to Syracuse, New York to work as a minister/counselor at a mission for homeless men. After a few years serving in Syracuse, Garry returned to the Pittsburgh area to rejoin YGI which was now actually operating under a different name. Eventually, he and his wife Marge and daughter Kimberly returned to New Jersey while his son Garry T. remained in Pittsburgh.    

Garry and Marge joined the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville where he was a faithful and active member for many years.

In 1988, Garry began a long season of sadness in his life. That year he and his family grieved the passing of his young daughter Kimberly to a sudden accident. Then, in 1992, Garry’s wife Marge succumbed to cancer and passed away. After laying Marge to rest, Garry moved to Oregon to serve as an interim pastor in a local church. Serving a congregation on an interim basis by definition is a temporary calling, so when his work was done, Garry returned to New Jersey. One day, a good five years after Marge’s passing, Garry asked a kind woman from Trinity Baptist Church named Elaine Lemieux to go out with him on a date. Understandably so, by the end of that date, despite trying, Garry was not successful in convincing Elaine to say “yes” to a proposal of marriage. They continued getting together on a regular basis and three months later, when Garry asked Elaine again, this time she gladly said “yes”. They married on Friday, January 31, 1997 at the Trinity Baptist Church and were blessed by God with 23 years of married life together.

Garry loved the outdoors and so that is where he pursued adventure and relaxation. He was an excellent marksman. So accurate was his aim, many farmers in North Jersey who would call him to control the damage to their crops caused by black crows. The farmers provided the gun shells and Garry provided the firing expertise.  Garry also loved to go freshwater fishing. He put his small boat with outboard motor into many of New Jersey’s lakes and ponds communing with nature while trying to land the “big one”.

Together Garry and Elaine enjoyed taking trips to see his son Garry T. and wife Lael in Murrysville, PA and trips to Michigan to see Elaine’s friend as well as Garry’s nephew Tim Schuil.

Generally speaking, Garry was a quiet-natured guy who kept fairly much to himself, that is, unless he knew you well. Then it was quite a different story altogether. Garry would talk to you forever. He loved people and especially loved working for his Lord Jesus, spreading His word and helping others to know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. In recent years Garry worked remotely with a prison ministry, helping inmates learn the life-saving truths of God’s word – the Holy Bible. The inmates would take tests based on what they had learned from the bible and Garry’s primary job was to grade their tests and offer encouraging feedback to these young believers.

Garry was the beloved husband of Elaine; dear father of Garry T. Simmons and wife Lael of Murrysville, PA and the late Kimberly Leadbitter (1988); cherished grandfather of Christopher and wife Rita Simmons of Pittsburgh, PA, and Daniel Simmons of Cranberry Township, PA; adoring great-grandfather of Eloise Simmons; and dear brother of five sisters who have all predeceased him.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Garry’s name are asked to The Trinity Baptist Church Mission Fund, 160 Changebridge Road, Montville, NJ 07045.