Betty Sweet Smith Simmons

Betty Sweet Smith Simmons, the widow of William Pinckney Simmons, died Tuesday morning, May 7, 2013. Memorial services will be held on Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 2:00PM at Mulberry Street United Methodist Church with the Reverend Tommy Mason and Dr. William Hurdle officiating. Burial will be private in Riverside Cemetery. The family will greet friends on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 from 4:00PM until 6:00PM at Hart's at the Cupola. In lieu of flowers or food, memorial donations may be made to a charity of choice or the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, 277 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Macon, Georgia 31201. The daughter of Grace Hines Smith and Charles Sweet Smith, Jr., Mrs. Simmons was born January 14, 1917 in Jacksonville, Florida and moved to Cocoa, Florida. Educated in the Cocoa public schools, she graduated from Florida State College for Women (now FSU) where she was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. A resident of Macon since 1938, Mrs. Simmons was a member of Mulberry Street United Methodist Church. She served on the Boards of the Grand Opera House, Museum of Arts and Sciences, Fine Arts Committee, Middle Georgia Historical Society, Historic Macon Foundation, Inc., Friends of the Cannonball House, Tubman African American Museum and Mid-Summer Macon. Mrs. Simmons was a member of the Camellia Society, the History Club of Macon, Middle Georgia Art Association, Morning Music Club, Macon Little Theater, Theater Macon, and Macon Town Committee of Colonial Dames of America. Mrs. Simmons was awarded the Macon Arts Alliance 1994 Cultural Award and the 2002 Rosalyn Elkan Lifetime Achievement Award. She was Junior League Sustainer of the Year and Junior League Volunteer of the Year. She was honored in 2006 by the Girl Scouts of Middle Georgia at the first Women of Distinction event. She was a supporter of most community, cultural and historic endeavors including the Hay House, Community Concert Association, The Macon Symphony and The Community Foundation. Above all she loved the people of Macon. Mrs. Simmons was the last surviving member of The Sewing Club which met weekly for more than sixty years. Other members included Chunk Reichert, Kat McNair, Kathryn Heard, Margaret Morgan and Libby Timberlake. Mrs. Simmons is survived by her children, Bill Simmons (Bertha), Betty Sweet Ladson and Charles S. Simmons (Kathy), all of Macon; grandchildren, Bill Simmons III and Grace Simmons, both of Memphis, Tennessee, Bill Ladson III (Jenny) of Thomasville, Georgia, Charles Ladson (Ashley) of Macon, Betty Sweet Atkinson (Austin) of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, Kathryn Strickland (Matt) of Macon and Virginia Sweet Dupuy (Ben) of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Lawson Brown (Leigh) of Venice, California, Stuart Brown (Carla) and Carter Brown (Stacy) of Pensacola, Florida, and fourteen great-grandchildren. The family is most appreciative for the care given at Bolingreen Health Facility. Most particularly, our family thanks the family of staff and residents at John Wesley Villas for their love and care. Register online at www.hartsmort.com. Hart's Mortuary at the Cupola, 6324 Peake Road, has charge of arrangements.