William "Bill" Clifford Simmons

"Cheerful in all weathers. Never shirked a task. Splendid behavior." These words from Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove are an apt description of William Clifford Simmons, or Bill to all who knew him. Celebration of Life for Bill will be March 21, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. at the Waurika Methodist Church in Waurika, Oklahoma with Reverend Rick Short officiating. Visitation with the family will be from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2026, at Dudley Funeral Home, 414 N. Elm Street, Waurika, OK.

Bill was born in Waurika, Oklahoma on December 8, 1946, to James Clifford and Julia Mae (Collins) Simmons. He died on March 6, 2026, at Baylor Scott & White Hospital in Fort Worth, TX at the age of 79. Bill was the first child of three in a family which grew to include his brother Jim and sister Edna Mae. The son of a pipeline inspector, Bill had an adventurous childhood, going to grade school in California, Florida, Louisiana and Canada, but Waurika was always home. He learned to weld as a young man and worked alongside his father and younger brother Jim, building horse and stock trailers at Simmons and Sons Trailer and Welding in Waurika. He graduated from Waurika High School in 1965 and attended Oklahoma State University studying agriculture. Following the death of his father in 1969, Bill returned to Waurika, just a few credits shy of graduation, to take over operations of the family ranch east of town. He worked on pipelines across the United States at one time being the youngest inspector in the country. He also owned and operated Simmons Agricultural Supply in Waurika selling feed, seed and fertilizer to area farmers and ranchers. He also started Simco Derrick and Fabrication where he built oil rigs and pumpjacks.

In 1974 Bill married LouElla Jackson. They welcomed their first daughter, Lana Renae in 1975 and their second daughter, Magen Lea in 1981. Bill loved his girls and grandchildren dearly. He was a steady strength and safety net, a comforting hug, a phone call just to check in and always quick to make them laugh with his dry wit. It was standard for the family to gather around the dining table playing King's Corner, Mexican Train or board games after dinner. Some of their best laughs happened while gathered around the table.

Bill was a student of the West and could converse on almost any subject because of his wide-ranging knowledge and curiosity. Always in a cowboy hat and boots, he was never just on time, but early. Bill was an eternal optimist and a peacemaker. He loved to tell or to hear a good story and was interested in the people and world around him. An avid reader, he loved books, music and movies. Socially, he looked forward most to attending Western events with his sister Edna Mae and her late husband H. Bill had a wonderful sense of humor and loved spending time and swapping stories with friends.

For almost 35 years he owned and operated Southwest Erosion Control, selling and installing bag walls, Tri-Lock, gabion, block walls and other erosion control systems across the United States. The homeowners and businesses he worked with became dear friends. At one supplier's store a new salesman who did not know Bill was assisting him and the salesman's co-worker said "Don't you know who that is? That's Bill Simmons, he is a legend."

Bill lived in Granbury, TX for years and eventually fulfilled his dream of living in downtown Ft. Worth. Bill loved Ft. Worth. He enjoyed going to Sundance Square to read at the Barnes and Noble, catch a movie, listen to live music, eat at Razoos or attend a Lyle Lovett concert at Bass Hall. The Stockyards was also a favorite hang-out and he loved meeting friends at the round table at the Stockyards Hotel, going to the Cattlemen's or H-3 to eat a steak or hanging out at the John Wayne Museum. Bill was easy to love and will be missed dearly. We take great comfort in knowing that Bill had faith and hope in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He is where we as Christians long to be.

Bill is survived by his daughters, Lana Simmons of Granbury, TX and Magen Monzo (Gabe) of Dripping Springs, TX; his grandchildren Lily Reed (Adam), of Chicago, IL, Benjamin Tunnell and Kathryn Moore both of Granbury, TX; his sister Edna Mae Holden of Kremlin, OK; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins, including Charles Simmons (Donna) of Fredericksburg, TX, and sister in law Connie Simmons of Waurika, OK. Additionally, both of his former wives survive him, LouElla Simmons of Granbury, TX and Ella Hood of Ft. Worth, TX. Bill was preceded in death by his parents Cliff and Mae, his Aunt Edna Palmer Armstrong, his younger brother Jim and his brother-in-law Harold T. "H" Holden. Bill leaves behind many friends and will be missed by those friends at their dinner tables, on job sites and at Western events throughout Texas and Oklahoma.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, OK, the John Wayne Museum in Ft. Worth, TX, Waurika Methodist Church in Waurika, OK or the charity of your choice in Bill's memory c/o Dudley Funeral Home, 414 N. Elm Street, Waurika, OK 73573 as custodian.