William Simmons

William “Bill” Paul Simmons, Sr., of Mathews County, Virginia passed away peacefully in his home on Thursday, October 26, 2023, at the age of 87.

Bill was born in Richmond, Virginia on April 30, 1936, to Claude Vivian Simmons and Marguerite Broadwell Simmons. He attended the University of Richmond, where he graduated with his bachelor’s in chemistry. During this time, he met the love of his life and married Georgiana Reed on September 12, 1959. The two celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary earlier this year. In 1968 he put his chemistry skills to use and co-founded ChemTreat Inc, an international industrial water treatment company. In 1990 he built his beloved home, Northview, on the North River to begin his long retirement.

Grandfather, as he was lovingly called by his family, spent the later 32 years of his life at Northview surrounded by family, friends, pets, his cherished eight grandchildren, and later, great-grandchildren. Bill’s love for his small rural community grew over the years, as he and Georgiana spent their time serving at Hands Across Mathews and attending their much-loved Church of Francis De Sales. An avid history buff, when Bill was not in Mathews, he was traveling the country and world with Georgiana, educating himself as much as he could and photographing the beauty of the world. Other interests included hunting, fishing, dusty old furniture, funky socks, SiriusXM Willie’s Roadhouse, lecturing his grandchildren, and eating the “best sandwich ever made”, a sausage, egg and cheese McMuffin.

He was preceded in death by his sister Patricia Chadwell. He is survived by his devoted wife, Georgiana Simmons; children, Sharon Simmons, William Simmons Jr., Ruffin Simmons (Kimberly); grandchildren, Madeline Alexander (Kevin), Matthew Brown, Abigail Simmons, Isabella Simmons, Lauren Simmons, Alexandra Richardson (Jake), Kyle Simmons, Lillian Simmons, and great-grandchildren, Wesley Richardson and Lavender Richardson.

Grandfather has gone up to the “great water treatment plant in the sky”.

A funeral mass will be held at the Church of Francis De Sales in Mathews, Virginia on Saturday, November 11, 2023, at 10:00am. Interment will follow at Windsor Gardens Cemetery, Dutton.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to be made to Hands Across Mathews, P.O. Box 1303, Mathews, VA, 23109.

Faulkner Funeral Homes, Foster-Faulkner Chapel, Mathews, is assisting the family.