David Brett Simmons

On June 21, 2024, David Brett Simmons passed away unexpectedly in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Brett's passing created a void among his family, friends and co-workers, who remember him as an optimistic, accepting, generous, funny, thoughtful and humble guy.
Born in Muncie, Indiana on June 28, 1969, to parents Carmen and Dave Simmons, Brett was a carefree little boy, wearing shorts in any kind of weather and spending as much time outside as he could, a fact that caused his mom years of worry.
Brett attended Wapahani High School in Selma, Indiana, where he built strong friendships among the Class of 1987 that stood the test of time. He went on to graduate from Ball State University with a bachelor's degree in engineering/industrial management, beginning his professional journey in 1994.
It was during his time at Ball State that Brett met Sandy (Brown) and the two fell head over heels. The couple quickly formed a deep love that continued over the entirety of their 32-year marriage. Brett loved and respected so many things about Sandy, but her ability to make people feel special by making their favorite meal or baking their favorite dessert was high among them. Although, he often exploited her generosity to get more peanut butter cookies.
His first born son Cory came into the world in 1995 and lit his father's heart on fire, a love that grew once again upon the birth of his second son, Johnathan in 1998. A natural parent, Brett not only made his growing family the center of his world, but he also understood the value of building strong ties between his children and their grandparents, Dave and Carmen, and the late Larry and Jodie (Cross) Brown.
Following his early jobs in Central Indiana, Brett accepted a position with Delphi Automotive in Dayton, Ohio, where he worked for two and a half years. Recognizing his skills in auto manufacturing, he was recruited back to Indiana in 2001 by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana (TMMI) in Princeton, where he worked until his death.
In March 2022, Brett became Pappy to Mylah Jo, daughter of John and his fiancé Emily Greenwell. Whether zipping through Sam's Club as she giggled from her race-cart for him to go fast, or eating yummy treats from her pretend kitchen, he considered every moment with Mylah a gift. The birth of Mylah not only brought new feelings of happiness, but great pride watching John become a father. The years trying to convince John he didn't need what he was trying to buy or turning things into teaching moments and life-lessons, paid off for both father and son. They loved tackling projects together and growing their strong, enduring relationship built on both elbow grease and respect.
The words "family man" are simply inadequate for describing Brett's unconditional and full-hearted love for his family and friends. He marveled in his son Cory's determination and work ethic, calling family to report each of his many accomplishments. He even rose at 5 a.m. once to hop on Cory's bus during his last shift as a Ball State shuttle bus driver. It was such a well-intentioned gesture, but as the wait dragged on at the bus stop, it drew some raised eyebrows from several co-eds and ultimately another bus driver wondering why this old dude was lingering forever and not getting on any buses.
When the Simmons family grew again in 2023 with the addition of Cory's husband Abel, Brett not only gained a son-in-law he loved, but he also fully embraced Abel's IT knowledge and nominated him as full-time tech support for the entire Simmons crew. It was Brett's speech during Cory and Abel's wedding that communicated his and Sandy's abiding support and excitement for the days ahead, as well as the way he lit up among their friends, taking in the community the two have built together.
Brett loved being of service. He was active in the Knights of Columbus as a 4th Order Knight in Holy Redeemer Council 12541, served one year as President of the Toyota Veterans Association at TMMI and was in his second term on the North American Advisory Council (NACC) for veterans. One of his favorite volunteer roles, however, was the annual task of pretending to be Santa Claus, calling the hyper children of friends and family, offering some tough love that coal was not off the table just because it was Christmas Eve.
While his deep love of fishing was the precursor for Brett leaving us too soon, from an early age it was one of his favorite activities. As he got older, it was the love of fishing that bonded him even deeper with his dad, Dave, and son John. He and Sandy were avid travelers and loved exploring new places. Brett was also a die-hard fan of the Indianapolis 500 and ensured he went every year. In addition, he loved antique tractors, woodworking, and watching How it's Made, arguably his only flaw according to his sister, Jennifer. Try as he might, Brett could never convince her otherwise.
While she couldn't understand his How it's Made fascination, Jennifer, along with Sandy, wholly supported Brett's deep fondness for dad jokes. He was giddy to offer up the latest gem to his biggest fans, nephew Murphy Cunningham, and Emily's daughter, Kinley Dapper.
His role as an extra on the set of Hoosiers in 1985 made it special to watch his nephew Carter Cunningham play basketball on the same basketball court just before the pandemic. And it was Brett who often suggested ways to keep the family close during quarantine, taking up the task of getting the grandparents familiar with Zoom.
Brett was admired and cherished. His surviving family includes wife Sandy (Brown) Simmons, his sons Cory Simmons (Abel Barrera Duran) and John Simmons (fiancé Emily Greenwell), granddaughter Mylah Jo Simmons, parents, Dave and Carmen Simmons, sister Jennifer Simmons (Jerry Cunningham), nephews Carter and Murphy Cunningham, maternal grandmother, Marie Sprunger, and many other nieces, nephews, in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Lawrence and Theresa Simmons, maternal grandfather Amos Carter Jr., maternal step-grandmother Bonietta Carter, mother-in-law Jodie (Cross) Brown, and father-in-law Larry Brown.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, July 8, 2024 in St. Lawrence Catholic Church with Father David Hellmann and Father Robert Williams presiding.
Family and friends may call from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Monday, July 8, 2024 at The Meeks Mortuary and Crematory, Washington Street Chapel.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date in Evansville, Indiana.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.meeksmortuary.com.