Rusty Simmons

Mr. Russell “Rusty” Simmons, 74, of Winston-Salem, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 2, 2020.

Rusty was born June 6, 1945 in South Carolina to Ray and Carolyn Simmons.  He received his MBA from Wake Forest University and worked at Sara Lee in the IT department, making many friends there before his retirement.  In his free time, Rusty was an avid golfer and loved to fish.  He also had a deep love for the many pets that he and his wife had over the years.  In addition to his parents, Rusty was preceded in death by his brother, Randy Simmons; sister in law, Linda Cantrell; and brother in law, Jerry Cantrell.

Rusty is survived by his loving wife of 44 years, Darlene Simmons; son, Russell Dale Simmons (Sara); grandchildren, Zacharie, Evelyn Rose, and Miles; sister, Reba Lynn Smith (Greg); brother, Ronnie Simmons (Robin); sisters-in-law, Cathy Simmons, Iris Cantrell, Dianne Hipp (Billy), Jeannette Ward (Billy), and Angela Eves (James); brothers-in-law, Bob Cantrell (Jeannie), Robert Cantrell, Roland Cantrell (Donna), and Brad Scudder (Jan); many nieces and nephews; his beloved Aussies, Penny and Cooper; and a host of treasured friends.

A celebration of Rusty’s life will be held Friday, March 13th at 12 noon at Hayworth-Miller Silas Creek Chapel with Chaplain Jeff Vogler officiating.  The family will receive friends immediately following the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Trellis Supportive Care, 101 Hospice Lane, Winston-Salem, NC  27103 or Forsyth Humane Society, 4881 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem, NC  27104.