Name: Celebration of Life for Charles Harriss Simmons
Start: 2025-04-05T20:00:00.000Z
End: 2025-04-05T23:00:00.000Z
Location: The Commons at Congdon Yards

Charles Harriss Simmons

February 2, 1930 - December 19, 2024

Charles Harriss Simmons, 94, died on December 19th, 2024 after a long life filled with love for his family and service to his hometown community of High Point, NC. Charles was born in High Point on February 2, 1930 to William David Simmons, Jr. and Helen Fisher Simmons. He was known to many as "Seemore", a nickname he earned after winning a seeing contest in 1st grade. In his youth, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout with High Point's Troop 4, and he graduated from Davidson College in 1953. After college, Charles began his professional career in furniture and fabric sales and later managed family-held furniture showrooms and other real estate interests. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the city and the international home furnishings industry, he was honored by the String and Splinter Club, The City Club of High Point, with an Outstanding Achievement Award in 2010.

Throughout his life, Charles expressed an unyielding faith in the people of High Point and unbridled enthusiasm for the city as the hub of the home furnishings industry. As the unofficial Mayor of Main Street, he promoted his hometown at hundreds of furniture-related events. Well into his nineties, he offered High Point visitors an infamously comprehensive driving tour of the city's home furnishings highlights. His big smile, quick wit, and creative spirit animated every story he told, and he captured the hearts of many for whom he was a friend, a mentor, and a father-figure.

Charles Simmons was at the center of a large and loving family spanning four generations. He had a genuine joy for life and saw the best in situations, no matter how challenging they were. With a mischievous wink of his eye and two thumbs up he had a way of making his bold optimism believable. His absence is keenly felt.

Charles is survived by his children, Ann Simmons Robertson of Charlotte, NC; Jim Simmons of Chester, MD; and Lizbet Simmons of Los Angeles, CA, and their spouses; eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; two nephews and a niece. He was preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth McCrary Simmons, and a son, Robert Cummings.

A celebration of life event is being held on Saturday, April 5th from 4-7 p.m. in The Commons at Congdon Yards located at 410 W. English Rd., High Point, NC.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Greensboro News & Record on Mar. 30, 2025.

Memories and Condolences
for Charles Simmons

Sponsored by Cumby Family Funeral Service - High Point.

5 Entries

David Garrett

May 24, 2025

Ann, if we were schoolmates, sincere condolences; my dad is also 94 and still driving. Great to see a great life.

Andrew Middlebrook

April 4, 2025

Great man to know and work with

Rob Hunter

April 3, 2025

Mr Simmons was an absolute trip and I mean that in the most absolute complimentary way.

I went to high school with Jim (played soccer with him) and we became good friends. I visited him many times when he lived in Mt Pleasant, SC and hundreds of times when he lived in Atlanta.

In our days after high school there was a core group of five of us that went out a lot at night back when kids used to actually go out and mingle. For some reason (probably because they had a cool basement and tons of parking) we usually met at the Simmon residence before we started out for the night. From time to time Mr Simmons would venture down (seemingly always dressed in suit and tie) and entertain us. And I do mean entertain! It was always wise and thought provacitive. He would talk to us not at us. Although he did take great joy in needling one of our group who shall remain nameless. I'm very glad it was not me!!

Later in life when I was my mom's caretaker we would run into him at the Penny Path or some other local establishment and he would always be 'holding court' with the people he was with and I used to love to listen a little before going over and saying hello. He was always so kind and thoughtful to both me, my mom and my entire family. He was a great champion of High Point. Mr Simmons is part of that generation that believed in doing well and then doing good. I'm not quite sure High Point realizes what a great loss this is to the city and the furniture market.

My condolences to my buddy Jim, Ann, Lizbet and the entire Simmons family.

Lynn Dean Courtade

April 2, 2025

One of the first people I met when arriving at Furniture Market was Mr. Simmons. It seems he was everywhere. ALWAYS promoting High Point and the Furniture Market. He was one of a kind and his smile, enthusiasm and curiosity will be missed but still felt.