John Simmons,

John David Simmons, Jr. (64) passed from this life to his eternal reward on Saturday, October 24, 2020, at his home surrounded by his family. John was born in Memphis, TN on April 27, 1956 to John Simmons, Sr. and LaNelle Simmons. He was preceded in death by his father and one sister, Evelyn Ward, as well as his beloved in-laws, Charles and Mary Crabb, and sister-in-law, Cathy Johnson.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Cindy of Savannah, TN; one son, Josh (Cynthia) of Alamo, TN; his mother, LaNelle of Oakland, TN; two brothers, Steve (Wanda) of Oakland, TN and Alan (Mary) of Bella Vista, AR; two brothers-in-law, Mike Johnson (Janet) of Rienzi, MS and Ray Ward of Memphis, TN; one grandson, Eli. Also surviving are his nieces and nephew, and a host of extended family.

John worked at WM Barr Chemical Company in Memphis for over 20 years.
He committed his life to Jesus Christ and the faithful service of His Church for over 4 decades. For over 25 years he served as the organist at Georgian Hills Baptist Church in Memphis, where he was also ordained as a deacon. He has served the past 21 years as pianist at Sharon Baptist Church in Savannah. In 2000, he founded Savannah Music Academy to further serve God’s Church by the training of many children and adults to use their musical talents to glorify God. He began the rewarding work of piano tuning shortly after founding SMA, and made many friends at churches, schools and private homes throughout North Alabama, North Mississippi and West Tennessee. He has played piano for hundreds of weddings, funerals, church and community events. He loved volunteering with the Hardin County High School Chorus as their accompanist. John also played the piano and sang with the Inman Quartet for many years before starting a family.

Though John’s love for and excellence in music took him many places, it was his family and friends that he cherished most. John was a loving husband to Cindy, father to Josh, father-in-law to Cynthia, “Jaddy” to Eli, son, brother, uncle, and friend to many. If you ever met John, he thought of you as a friend. He was a prayer warrior, who counted it the highest honor to pray for others.

John was a transplant survivor, receiving a kidney transplant in 2012 from his dear friend, Stacy Goodwin. After fighting bravely for 3 years, he lost his battle with squamous cell carcinoma, but has claimed his victory of eternal life with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Family would like to say a special thank you to the many doctors, nurses and medical staff that have provided such wonderful care through John’s journey, including Dr. GiGi Wood Davis, Dr. Brian Walker and the Kirkland Cancer Center, his Vanderbilt team, and Unity Hospice.

Those wishing to honor his memory are invited to gather for visitation on Thursday, October 29 from 5:00pm-9:00pm. A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, October 30 at 10:00am, with visitation from 9:00am until the service hour. Visitation and the Service will be held at Sharon Baptist Church in Savannah. It is requested that you wear a mask if in attendance. The service will also be livestreamed on the Sharon Baptist Church Facebook page for those who are unable to attend.

Memorials may be made to Sharon Baptist Church Building Fund, 3514 Cravens Road, Savannah, TN 38372.