Barbara Lou Simms

Barbara Lou Simms, lovingly known as Mamma, passed away peacefully at home in Longwood, Florida, on August 23, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family. She was born on March 1, 1938, in Columbus, Ohio, and lived a life centered on devotion to those she loved.

Barbara met the love of her life, Jack Simms, and the two were married in 1956. Together they built a family of seven children: Andre, Barbie, Allen, Mark, who passed as a baby, Brenda, Jeff, and Diana. Their life together began with hard work and deep family roots. Barbara and Jack moved to a farm in Circleville, Ohio, where they lived off what the family farm grew. In those years, Barbara cared for her home with steady hands and a generous heart, tending the garden she loved and sewing for her children.

In 1972, Barbara and Jack moved to Orlando, Florida, where they began a new chapter together. They started a business, Creative Packaging, and later opened a small restaurant, where Barbara was the cook. Caring for others came naturally to her, and nowhere was that more evident than in the way she fed people, welcomed them, and made them feel at home.

One of Barbara’s proudest gifts was the way she cared for family across generations. She cared for her parents in her home, and she also cared for Jack’s parents at home. She loved babies and was always the babysitter for the grandbabies. More than anything, she was a caregiver to all, offering comfort, constancy, and love in the everyday moments that matter most.

Barbara leaves behind a family who will continue to carry her memory with them. She is survived by her daughter, Barbara Bridges, and by Brenda McCoy and Diana Moline with her husband Craig. Her love also lives on in her eight grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren, each of whom was part of the family circle she cherished so deeply.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jack; her sons Mark, Andre, Allen, and Jeff; her son-in-law Ronald Bridges; and her parents, James Lesley Rutan and Inez Morehouse Rutan.

Family and friends are invited to gather for visitation on August 28, 2026, from 5:15 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Newcomer Funeral Home, South Seminole, 335 E State Rd 434, Longwood, Florida 32750. A funeral service will follow there from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Barbara will be remembered for her strength, her nurturing spirit, and the way she made family the center of her world. Her life was one of service, love, and quiet sacrifice, and that love will remain with all who were blessed to know her.