Geraldine E Simons

Geraldine “Geri” Simons, devoted wife, loving mother to four, grandmother to nine and great-grandmother to twelve, died peacefully, surrounded by her family, on Thursday, August 3, 2023. Geri was born on February 1, 1937, in Alamosa, Colorado to the late Damasio and Dora (Gonzales) Vigil.

She grew up on a ranch, graduated from Walsenburg High School, where she actively participated as a twirler and a leader in student government. Before finishing college for nursing, she got swept off her feet by her husband, Bill, and married at age 20. Her occupation, as she described it, was a domestic engineer, where she ran a household that was family-focused, God-centered, and full of life. She selflessly served at church as a Sunday School teacher, choir member, women’s ministry member, Deaconess, and caring friend. Bill and Geri’s marriage of 66 years was full of many adventures, with lots of travel from Eagle River to Florida, from Hawaii to Europe, and more. As a mother and grandmother, she was fun, creative, generous, and silly. She loved her family with all her heart and soul. The most beautiful thing about her was that she reminded us, up to her last days of life, that Jesus loves us, and God will always watch over us. She was a child of God and a believer in Jesus Christ – unwavering in her faith. Her legacy will not be forgotten.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Damasio and Dora Vigil and her sister, Margaret. Geri is survived by her loving husband, William “Bill” Simons Sr.; her sister, Betty “Rosie” Huff and brother, James “Jim” Vigil; her children, Charmaine (Bob) Arosen, William “Bill” (Nancy) Simons Jr., Steven “Steve” (Cindy) Simons, and Miriam (Nick) Campbell; along with grandchildren, Lindsay (AJ) Loredo, Crystal (Jordan) Schmidt, Victoria (Dan) Basinger, Dena (David) Kuhns, David (Kristin) Arosen, William “Billy” Simons III, Joshua (Alexandra) Simons, Zachary Simons, Nicholas Simons, and her 12 great-grandchildren. Geri impacted so many lives. She will be dearly missed.

Please join the family on Saturday, August 12th, 2023, starting with a visitation at 10:00 A.M and service at 11:30 A.M, at Northwest Bible Baptist Church, 9N889 Nesler Road, Elgin, Illinois 60124. Interment will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery, 2501 East Euclid Avenue, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004, at 2:00 P.M. to say our final good-byes.