Jack William Simmons, 71, passed away peacefully and comfortably, surrounded by family, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

Jack was preceded in death by his son and best friend, William Toby Simmons; his parents, Jack and Beatrice Simmons; mother-in-law Esther Haley; brother Jerry Simmons; sister-in-law Kathleen Rebecek; and brothers-in-law Terry Brossette, Doug Brossette, and Dennis Free.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Corliss Simmons; son Jason Simmons and wife Carrie; grandson Hudson Simmons and granddaughter Hadley Simmons; along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family members, and lifelong friends.

Jack Simmons was born on December 5, 1954, in Pasadena, Texas — an otherwise normal baby born on an otherwise normal day. But over the next 71 years, Jack proved to be anything but ordinary.

He grew up in Deer Park, Texas, and attended Deer Park High School. In 1972, after high school, he did what many people from the area did: he went to work, got married, and started building a family. While working at a nearby convenience store, he met Corliss — and apparently decided pretty quickly that he'd keep her around forever. They married soon after and welcomed their first son, William Toby, in 1975.

With a growing family to support, Jack went to work at Arco Refining in Pasadena, where he spent more than 30 years before retiring. During his career, some of his proudest accomplishments came while serving as Vice President of the local union. Alongside his union brothers and sisters, Jack stood through difficult labor negotiations and several strikes, helping build a better future not only for his own family, but for generations of workers who followed.

Jack was a giant man with an even bigger heart. There are simply too many stories and not enough pages to fully describe his strength, loyalty, kindness, stubbornness, generosity, and love for his family, friends, and community. During retirement, he and Corliss traveled across the United States visiting national parks, monuments, and every place Jack had talked about seeing "one day." He never traveled without a tool set in the trunk, fully prepared to help any stranded motorist unlucky enough to break down within a hundred-yard radius of him.

In 2013 and 2018, Jack proudly became "Papa Jack" to Hudson and Hadley — two new best friends to spoil, tease, teach, and take on adventures. Those who knew Jack also knew that he never really met a stranger, never left a problem unsolved if he could help it, and never believed a trip to Home Depot should take less than two hours.

The loss of Toby in 2022 changed Jack deeply. Part of his heart left with his son. But even as illness weakened his body, he continued giving every piece of his heart to the people around him.

In the end, Jack will be remembered as a loving husband, father, Papa Jack, brother, union man, loyal friend, and the kind of person who quietly showed up whenever someone needed help.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to AccentCare Hospice for the compassion, dignity, and support they provided Jack and his family throughout his final months at home.

The family will host a Celebration of Life and receive friends from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM, Friday, May 29th, at Peevey Funeral Home, 12440 Beamer Road, Houston, TX 77089. The funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, May 30th, in the Chapel at First Baptist Church Pasadena, 7500 Fairmont Parkway, Pasadena, TX 77505.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Houston Food Bank or your favorite charity.