Joseph William "Joe" Simmons

Husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, cattle buyer, skeet and trap shooter, football fanatic, master barbecuer, and devoted friend Joseph William Simmons passed away September 22, 2013, with his wife and son at his side. He was 70. Joe was born in the middle of nowhere, quite literally: No Man's Land, the Oklahoma Panhandle, in the town of Texhoma, on October 13, 1942, to Lucille and Harold Simmons. Along with his younger sister, Delma, Joe grew up on a cattle ranch, where hard work was instilled in him at an early age. He graduated from Texhoma High School in 1960. He attended both West Texas State University in Canyon, Tex., and Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Okla., traveling the country on the schools' cattle-judging teams. Knowing exactly what he wanted to do with his life, Joe entered the cattle business. One night in the mid-1960s, while partaking in a favorite pastime in nearby Guymon, Okla., known as "dragging Main," Joe met Kay Haliburton. The couple married in Guymon on June 15, 1968, and settled in Tulsa, where Joe had moved to begin working toward his dream of owning his own company. Joe and Kay's first order of business was bringing their only child, Joe Mark, into the world on August 3, 1970, in Tulsa. After a few years of working for other order buyers, Joe realized his dream by founding Joe Simmons Cattle Company. Never one to do anything halfway, Joe poured his heart and soul into his new venture. At its peak, Joe averaged about 2,000 miles per week on the highways of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. After years of stockyard-cafeteria food and all-night auctions, Joe's cattle business flourished. It is worth noting that even though he had succeeded financially, Joe believed in buying quality cars, taking care of them, and driving them until their wheels fell off. When he sold his 1974 Cadillac Eldorado, the odometer had passed 225,000 miles. His next - and only other - company vehicle, a 1980 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, had logged more than 350,000 miles before it hit the auction block. Joe continued buying and selling cattle until the early 1990s. When he was not working, Joe loved to shoot moving targets, mostly of the clay variety. He was an accomplished skeet and trap shooter, winning numerous awards throughout Oklahoma and beyond. One of Joe Mark's first jobs was loading shotgun shells for his dad for $.10 a box. When he was 14, Joe Mark began working at Joe's gun club, Southern Hills in Tulsa, and also learned to shoot, though not nearly as well as his dad. Nevertheless, the pair enjoyed many hours of shooting together. They competed in tournaments around Oklahoma and even took their guns on several family vacations. One of Joe Mark's favorite memories of his father was made when he was a college student in Arkansas. Mom and Dad came to visit, and Dad took Joe Mark and several of his friends, both boys and girls, to a nearby gun club to introduce the friends to skeet shooting. Joe Mark's friends had never done anything like that before and had a blast. In fact, it wasn't until Joe Mark had been away at college for awhile that he realized just how smart and fun his parents really were. His father's sage advice helped Joe Mark through many difficult times. Whether it was watching one of Joe Mark's cross-country meets, which he never missed, or helping his son through a painful break-up, Joe was there when Joe Mark needed him most. In 1994, Joe became a father-in-law when Joe Mark married Laurie Krueger. A few years later, Joe assumed the title which his friends and family know meant more to him than anything else: Grandpa. Mason Paul Simmons was born in 2001; Elizabeth Kay Simmons followed in 2005. Joe adored his grandchildren, and because they lived only three miles away for much of their childhoods, he was able to spend countless hours with them. Some of the family's favorite photos of Joe are those when one or both of the grandkids were sitting on his lap, reading stories, watching television, or just curiously prying the glasses from Grandpa's face. In his later years, Joe loved spending Thursday evenings with his friends at Oil Capital Rod and Gun Club in Coweta. Each week he would prepare and deliver a home-cooked meal to his buddies. At Oil Capital Joe definitely spent more time talking than shooting; however, his very best friends were made there. Some of the family's fondest memories of Joe are from Independence Days at the club, where Kay, Joe Mark, Laurie and the grandkids joined Joe for the annual fireworks displays. This past summer the club held a tournament in Joe's name, honoring him for his years of service. Some of his last visitors at the hospital were his close friends from Oil Capital. Two final things about Joe: He could talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime, and he would do whatever he could to help someone in need. During a conversation with Joe, a person had 100% of his attention and felt like the most important person on Earth. He routinely held court on the driveway of his home in south Tulsa and captivated the attention of neighbors with his plethora of stories - some of which might have actually been true. If someone needed a recommendation for a job or maybe a few extra dollars, just to take a gal on a weekend date, Joe rarely said no. He passed on his salesmanship and gift of gab to Joe Mark, who will be eternally grateful. However, in the words of an old Coca-Cola jingle, "Ain't nothin' like the real thing," and Joe was truly one of a kind. Joe is survived by his wife of 45 years, Kay; his son, Joe Mark, of Fate, Tex.; his daughter-in-law, Laurie, and his grandchildren, Mason and Elizabeth, also of Fate; his sister, Delma Grossman, of Guymon; his niece, Kenda Davis, of Guymon; and his nephew, Bill Kenney, of Tyler, Tex. He was preceded in death by his father, Harold Simmons, of Texhoma; and his mother, Lucille Rich, of Guymon. Contributions in Joe's honor can be made to Cal Farley's Boys Ranch in Amarillo, Tex.; Boston Avenue United Methodist Church in Tulsa; or the charity of your choice. No services were held. FITZGERALD SOUTHWOOD COLONIAL CHAPEL 918-291-3500

Joseph William "Joe" Simmons

October 13, 1942 - September 22, 2013