Helen Cleaveland Simmons, 75, passed away Saturday, May 30, 2020.

Helen was born on January 18, 1945 in Pensacola and graduated from Pensacola High School in 1963. She obtained a BS in Elementary Education from Florida State University in 1968, a BS in Accounting from University of West Florida in 1986, and an AA in Art from Pensacola State College in 2013. Helen married the love of her life, Bill Simmons, in 1966. She worked as a schoolteacher in both public and private schools from 1968-1973. Helen owned and managed the Merry-Go-Round children's clothing shop from 1973-1984. She managed the Children's Department for the newly founded DH Holmes from 1986-1987. Helen began her career as a Revenue Agent with the Internal Revenue Service in November of 1987. She retired as a BSA Examiner in December 2007. After retirement, Helen volunteered at Samaritan Hands Ministry of First Baptist Church, as well as the Alpha Center. Her extensive skills and knowledge gained from managing the Merry-Go-Round were highly valued at both of these positions. Helen was a woman of integrity and had a great sense of humor. She was proud of swimming across Pensacola Bay in 1992. She loved to dance, and she was an excellent cook. She was a thoughtful and loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She touched many lives and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Harold H. and Arlean Baird Cleaveland of Pensacola; brothers, Harold Cleaveland Jr., of Houston, TX and Freddie Cleaveland of Pensacola; as well as a son, David Simmons of Pensacola.

Survivors include her husband, Bill Simmons of Pensacola; daughter, Cheryl Simmons and her husband Michael Tulin of Alhambra, CA; granddaughter, Maya Simmons of Pensacola; grandsons, Jasper Lee and Oliver Lee of Alhambra, CA; also her brothers-in-law, Bob Hannah of Pensacola and Tim Simmons of Pensacola; nephew, Rob Hannah (Allison) of Pensacola; nieces, Valerie Narula of Houston, TX, Priscilla Cleaveland of Houston, TX, Susan Ramirez (Sean) of Pensacola, and Rebecca Yates (Stanley) of Tallahassee.

Funeral service will be held 11:00am Friday, June 5, 2020 at First Baptist Church with Rev. Blake Benge and Monsignor Steve Bosso officiating.

Pallbearers will be Andrew Johnson, Greg Johnson, Tom Johnson, Platt Roberts, Jackson Yates, and Stanley Yates.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alpha Center, PO Box 10880, Pensacola, FL 32524 or to Samaritan Hands at First Baptist Church, 500 N. Palafox, Pensacola, FL 32501.

A special thanks to Dr. Thomas Sonnenberg, Dr. Alexander Brown and all of the nurses of the Ascension Sacred Heart Cancer Care. Additional thanks to Dr. Yazan Alsayed and all of nurses of Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital, as well as the nurses at the Covenant Care Hospice Unit at Sacred Heart, with a special thank you to Daniela in the ICU.