Jean Adele (Vokac) Simmer, 79, a long-time resident of Chillicothe, Missouri, passed away at the Garden View Care Center in Chesterfield, Missouri, the morning of Sunday, June 4, 2023.
Jean was born January 18, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois, joining an older sister Pat in the home of their parents Irving R. and Mildred (Lundin) Vokac.
Growing up, Jean attended school in the Lyons Township School District located in both Western Springs and La Grange, Illinois, and currently stands as the 8th largest public high school in Illinois and the 46th largest public high school in the United States.
After graduating from high school, Jean attended Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri, where she met the love of her life, Fred K. Simmer. They married on June 26, 1965, and for the past 58 years, Jean gave unconditional and faithful love to him. During their marriage, Jean gave birth to a son, Mark, and a daughter, Jill.
In her prime, Jean was so full of life and energy that she did not hesitate to share it with others to show support and compassion. If a neighbor was ill, she would be there to help. If a friend was in danger, she would be there to rescue them. If volunteers were needed to raise funds for the American Cancer Society, Multiple Sclerosis, or other charities, she was willing to walk door-to-door throughout her neighborhood to help. She especially took pride in her volunteer work at Hedrick Medical Center, where she was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary for 30 years and worked tirelessly at reviving and maintaining the presence of a gift shop within the Center itself.
Jean also loved to travel and make others happy, this made her an ideal partner for her friend Sandy Brown, as they worked together to promote and manage the Chillicothe State Bank’s Distinguished Citizens (DC) Club through its most successful years.
Jean also possessed a competitive spirit and a love for sports. If she wasn’t watching her son Mark play basketball or her daughter Jill high jump, she was throwing strikes during the local women’s bowling league or taking it on the road with the league’s traveling team. As her grandchildren came of age, she loved watching Jensen play golf, Hayden play basketball and run long distance, and Cheyenne play volleyball.
Jean is survived by her husband Fred, of the home; her children, Mark Simmer, of Chillicothe, Missouri, and a daughter Jill Grasmick and husband Eric of Chesterfield, Missouri. Jean was also blessed with six grandchildren, Jensen and Hayden Simmer, Savannah, Gavin, and Cheyenne Grasmick, a step-grandchild, Paige Mulligan and husband Will. Jean was also survived by her sister, Pat Kwarta, and husband Dave, and their daughters, Deborah Kwarta and Kim and husband Rick Zawodniak.
Memorial Services will be held at the Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, Missouri, on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. A scheduled visitation will be at the Lindley Funeral Home on Saturday, June 17, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. until service time at 11:00 a.m.
Inurnment will be held at a later date at the Clarendon Hills Cemetery, Darien, Illinois.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Grand River Multi-Purpose Center and/or LICOVA (Livingston County Veterans Association) and may be left at or mailed to Lindley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 47, Chillicothe, Missouri.
