Janet Simmons

Janet Lea (Butlar) Simmons went home to the Lord on November 23, 2022. Janet was born April 20, 1957 to James L Butlar and Mildred R. (Gasway) Butlar at Sam Houston. Janet was a devoted wife to Jonathan H. Simmons and a beloved mother to Jonathan J. Simmons. She is survived by her sisters Joyce Brown, husband Bruce Brown, Lynn Hobson, husband John Hobson and sister-in-law Barbara Simmons: nieces Courtney Visalli, husband Sam Visalli, Teri Pellrin husband Kevin Pellrin, Hannah Brown, nephews Brad Hobson, wife Cassie Hobson, Bradley Simmons wife Kristen Simmons, Bruce Brown Jr, wife Katie Gifford, 11 great-grand nieces and nephews, 1 uncle and a multitude of cousins.

Janet’s family lived on several army posts until moving to Ft. Hood, Texas. She graduated from Killeen High School and Texas A & M University in College Station, gaining a Masters of Science degree in 1982. Janet was a founding member of the Emergency Medical Team at A & M and a paramedic and teacher of paramedics in College Station and at Darnell. After years as a paramedic, Janet became an elementary teacher for 27 years and was recognized as an outstanding educator many times by KISD, more importantly to Janet, she was loved by her students. Janet spent long hours preparing for and creatively constructing classes for her students. She was keenly aware of the school, and sometimes home, needs of each student and generously gave each student time and attention. As much as 40 years later her students recognized her around town and wrote her to express the positive impact she had had on their youth. More importantly, to the surprise of everyone especially her husband, she could remember most, if not all, of their names and a little bit about them as students. She would start off wanting to tell a story about a student, which would lead into something about their friends, their friend’s uncle who went to school with another random person who had trouble in the tenth grade but was now an accomplished plumber working in their own business with a brother that went to UT (Boo, Hiss). Janet was a life long Aggie, she bled maroon. All this left her husband confused, “Didn’t you want to tell me about that original student?” So she would go back to the original student unless she was remembering that it was raining that day and water was running down the back wall of her classroom… Eventually she would return to the original student. (You just had to keep her on track). Janet also had a great love for music, singing and her dogs

In recent years Janet developed an interest in genealogy and explored both her husband’s family tree and her own. She was working on a notebook of her families ancestry, finding royalty in her line. Family was always very important to Janet. She lived in Killeen near her mother all her life. She was a faithful wife to Jonathan and a dedicated mother to Jonathan her son, called Jon Jon. Jon Jon was born prematurely, spent the first three months in ICU and has health problems that often take him to the hospital. His mother and father were always there, supporting, praying, loving him during each hardship and watching his successes like graduating from college. Janet also dearly loved her nieces and nephews. She participated in many parts of their young lives and continued to follow their successes in adulthood. Janet rejoiced with the birth of all her grands and her life was full of prayer and thanksgiving for each one of them. Her great joy was visiting and spending time with all her family. Janet was a faithful Christian all her life, worshiping with the Church of Christ.

A memorial service will be held at the W. S. Young Church of Christ on Saturday, Dec 3 at 4:00 PM. Arrangements are with Harper-Talasek Funeral Home.