Janet B. Simmons

Janet “Janie” Simmons was born in Spaulding, Nebraska, on March 26, 1941. She passed on January 31, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona, at the age of 81. She lived in the Valley for 49 years, 47 of which she spent with her beloved husband, Tom Simmons. They were married for 57 years and were quite the team. Janie started her college career at Ducshene College in Omaha, Nebraska. She graduated from the University of Nebraska Lincoln and was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. Janie and Tom headed to Arizona in the 1960s. Janie started as an educator in Mesa, Arizona, teaching first grade. With time she transitioned into a homemaker doting over her two children Samantha and “Tommy” Tom. She was an incredible cook and entertainer, rivaling Martha Stewart with her pursuit of perfection in all she did. With Janie, good was simply just not good enough. In the mid-1980s, she started two Hallmark and office supply stores that were one of a kind. Her eye for great gift items, coupled with her passion for customer service, served to be a recipe for success as her retail career spanned nearly two decades. Upon retirement, Janie focused on enjoying her husband, Tom, and spending time entertaining her friends and family. Her parties were legendary, well known for her incredible food and decorative detail. Janie was known for her quiet support of the underdog. Under the radar, she was very generous with many family members and friends alike, always there to help when someone was in need. She never gave up on people and was incessantly LOYAL. She never wanted attention or accolades but was the first to pitch in and lend a helping hand. She was preceded in death by her husband, Tom Simmons, parents Ray, and Pearl McVeigh; three brothers and sister, Pidge McVeigh, Jim McVeigh, Mike McVeigh, and Bev Vogel. Janie is survived by her daughter Samantha and her son Tom (Jennifer), and five grandchildren Taylor, Jordan, G.T., Sophia, and Jack, to which she was known as “Mommom”. Her two sisters-in-law, Andrea McVeigh and Susan Harkins as well nieces and nephews Craig Vogel, Michaela McVeigh, Matt McVeigh, Brian Theobald, Jerry Theobald, and Grant Theobald. In Lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Hospice of the Valley and Dementia Care Center at dementiacampus.org

May you find the courage to face tomorrow in the love that surrounds you today.