BEVERLY SUE SIMMONS

Beverly Sue Simmons, 76, of Buffalo passed away on July 22, 2024. She was born on April 22, 1948, in Aurora; the daughter of Purvis and Norreva (Simmons) Carter.
She grew up near Spring River and graduated from Mt. Vernon High School in 1966. She went on to attend college in McPherson, Kan. as well as the College of the Ozarks.
In December of 1982, she enlisted in the US Navy. After she completed basic training in February of 1983, she went on to attend Aircrew Survival Equipmentman (PR) School, where she trained to pack parachutes and finishing third in her class. She was then transferred from New Jersey to California, where she quickly moved up in the ranks to second class petty officer. she was the only PR on detachments to Naval Air Facility El Centro, Bergstrom AFB, Texas, USS Kittyhawk, USS Constellation and the USS Enterprise. She was then transferred to Spain where she spent two years before transferring to Maine. In 1990, she was again sent overseas, this time to Lajes, Azores, then to Sicily.
 In May of 1994 she returned to the states and received instructor training at Naval Air Technical training Center in Tennessee, and earned her Master Training Specialist, additionally she completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Business Management from Chrichton College in Memphis. After two years in Tennessee, she was relocated to Pensacola, Fla. There she was selected as 1997’s PR “A” School Sailor of the Year and was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and her fourth good conduct medal. In June 2001, she was stationed onboard the USS Carl Vinson, assigned as a QA rep. She served during Enduring Freedom and was awarded several medals, The Navy Unit Commendation, her second National Defense Service Medal, a second Battle Efficiency Award as well as a third Sea Service Deployment ribbon. After service 20 years of active duty, She was transferred, in 2002, to Fleet Reserve and was accepted into Southern Illinois University where she earned her master’s degree in Workforce Education and Curriculum Development.
In 2016 she, along with Sue Swanigan, founded Woof for Vets. A nonprofit program that matches imperfect purebred puppies with veterans with PTSD or who are disabled. Breeders donate their puppies, and they are matched to a veteran as a trained companion, at no cost to the veteran. She was a member of the MPBA, MMPA, Ozark Exotic Pets, Earth Quality @ KC, Combat Vets of America chapter 411 Fort Lea worth. She also was a judge at FFA Speaking contests and showed dogs at ACA.
She is survived by her siblings: Charolette (Rick) Phillips, Gloria Garner, Rick (Pam) Carter, Teresa (Kent) Collins, Kimberly (Mark) Cobb, and Clay (Donna) Carter; a special adopted brother, Bobby (Angie) Berlekamp; as well as other extended family and countless friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Visitation was held on Thursday, July 25, at the DAV in Buffalo and on Friday, July 26, at Meadors Funeral Home in Republic with funeral services and burial next to her mother at Rock Prairie Cemetery in Halltown, where she received full military honors. Donations are suggested to Woof for Vets at www.woofforvets.org/donate.