Bill O. Simmons, 89, of Sunrise Beach, Texas died November 24, 2012. He was born to Ernest Theodore Simmons and Addie Grace (Hood) Simmons on June, 23, 1923 in Eastland County, Texas. He was married for 69 years to Bernice "Bobbie" Peters Simmons in Ada, Oklahoma on October 24, 1943. Mr. Simmons answered his country's call to arms during World War II as an officer of the 9th Air Force, and he joined the reserves in 1946, was recalled to active duty where he served as Provost Marshall at Perrin Air Force Base in Sherman, Texas from 1951 to 1953. He began is career with the Texas Department of Public Safety in 1947. Bill and Bobbie lived in Austin, Gainesville and Corsicana before moving to Midland in 1956 where he began a career in the oil industry as the owner of Simco Hydrocarbon Well Logging. Bill and Bobbie moved to Llano County, Texas in 1990. He served his fellow citizens as a Llano County Commissioner, Chairman of the Llano County Republican Party and was Church Council President of St. Charles Baromero Catholic Church in Kingsland, Texas. Mr. Simmons served on the Telecommunication Infrastructure Fund Board under an appointment by Governor Rick Perry. Bill was an active member of the Llano County Republican Club, The Republican Party of Texas, and the B-26 Marauder Historical Society. Bob is survived by his wife Bobbie, two sons, Bill O.Simmons, Jr. and wife Pam of Midland, Texas and Paul D. Simmons and wife, Kandi of Sunrise Beach, Texas, one granddaughter, Ellen Hargrove of Tulsa, Oklahoma and three great grandchildren, Claire Elizabeth Hargrove, Benjamine Pyton Hargrove and Audrey Grace Hargrove. He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Joe Hood Simmons, Howard Wylie Simmons and Ralph Maurice Simmons and two sisters, Eula Mae Hittson and Blanche Lee Howard. A Visitation will be held on Monday November 26, 2012 at Putnam Funeral Home from 4:00 o'clock P.M. followed by a Rosary at 6:00 o'clock P.M. at the Funeral Home. A Mass will be at St. Charles Boromero Catholic Church in Kingsland, Texas on Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at 10:00 A.M. Inturment will be at St. Joseph Cemetery in Stanton, Texas on Wednesday, November 28, 2012 at 10:00 A.M. Funeral arrangements made by Putnam Funeral Home 145 Texas Avenue, Kingsland, Texas 78639 (325) 388-0008 An online registry can be found at www.PutnamCares.com

Published in Austin American-Statesman on November 26, 2012