Sara Shields Simmons

CHARLOTTE - Mrs. Sara Shields Simmons, 68, died Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2005, at home in Charlotte. She was born Jan. 25, 1937, the first child of the late Holland and Ollie Yokley Shields, in Kernersville. She was a member of Christ Episcopal Church and a former member of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlotte. A memorial service with Choral Eucharist will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at Christ Episcopal Church, 1412 Providence Road, Charlotte, followed by interment of ashes in the Memorial Garden. The Rev. Martha Hedgpeth and the Rev. Verdery Kerr will officiate. The family will receive friends after the interment during a luncheon reception in the Christ Church Blue Room. Following the luncheon, a private interment of ashes will be in Sara's beloved woodland garden beside the Simmons home. The cause of death was a GBM brain tumor. Throughout her year-long journey, she showed what courage looks like. Never losing her love of nature and being outdoors, she took joy in every reported deer sighting, pulled weeds from her chair and relished the presence of the garden's St. Francis statue. Her sensitivity for the visually artistic became intensified after she lost the ability to read, and every card, photo and scanned image of her choice, from two daily newspapers, made her beloved books of photos and memorabilia very special to her each day. Sara retired from Omnia Design Inc., in 1990, after working more than 20 years as a receptionist and office manager. She devoted much of her time in the remaining years of her life visiting and lovingly caring for her mother, then her father and her aunt, Evelyn Shields Watlington, in the last years of their lives. Between 1990 and 1998, she tirelessly traveled to the Winston-Salem area, in one year setting aside over 130 days to the care of these loved ones. After 1998, her father and aunt lived for five and six years, respectively, at The Carriage Club in Charlotte. A friend and employee there said, "Sara put her own life on hold to visit them daily, to volunteer at resident social events, and to make her father's and aunt's lives vital and interesting as long as they lived." Survivors include her husband of 47 years, Stacy E. Simmons; her daughter and son-in-law, Dr. Rache Simmons and Dr. John DeCorato Jr. of New York, N.Y.; and a sister, Gail Shields Bowden of Blacksburg, Va. Her loss is notable for the huge extended Simmons and Putnam families, who made her one of their own and endeared her for life. Her special feline friend, Mickey, has given his love to her in large measure and will be among those who long for the warm touch of her hand. The family requests no flowers at this time. A fund has been established to purchase white Hellebores (Christmas roses) that will be planted as a memorial at the place of interment in Sara's woodland garden. Contributions may be made payable to McNair Law Firm and sent to the firm at 301 S. Tryon St., Suite 1615, Charlotte, NC 28282, for the "Sara Simmons Memorial." Memorial contributions may also be made to Christ Episcopal Church Choir in her name. Harry and Bryant Co. is serving the family.