John Elbert Simmons, 90, Port Republic

Friday, Oct. 3, 2008

He was born April 28, 1918.

He was a charter member of the First Baptist Church of Calvert County for more than 50 years.

He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the Pacific Theater with the U.S. Marine Corps, including duty at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941. He was attached to Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-212 as an aviation mechanic operating in California, the Hawaiian Islands, the Solomons Islands, including Papua New Guinea (Bougainville) and also New Hebrides during the war. He attained the rank of master technical sergeant during his seven years of military service.

He was later a member and past president of the Maryland chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association.

Upon returning home from the war, he worked for the Department of Defense at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station and Andrews Air Force Base before retiring in 1970.

He went on to become a real estate agent with Weems Realty of Prince Frederick. He later also worked for the Bechtel Corporation, the B.F. Diamond Construction Company and the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative in Prince Frederick before retiring again in 1987.

After he returned home from military service, he married the late Clare Marguerite Wilson of Lusby and they settled in Port Republic. They raised their family on a portion of the family farm. He was a Godly man and lived a life of faithfulness of God, his family and friends. During the 1950s, he was involved in the building of Calvary Bible Church in Lusby and later helped found the First Baptist Church of Calvert County where he served as treasurer and deacon. He and his wife had three children and five grandchildren, who knew him affectionately as ‘‘Pop.”

In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his son, John ‘‘Johnny” Wilson; sisters, Louise Smith of Baltimore and Ruth Clarke of Merrit Island, Fla.; and brother, Carl C. Simmons of San Diego, Calif.

He is survived by his daughter, Ruth Ann Grigg of Forest, Va.; son, Daniel E. Simmons of Lusby; grandchildren, Aaron Padgett of Alexandria, Va., John and Emily Grigg of Forest, Va., and Rachel and Abigail Simmons of Lusby; and sisters, Pauline Gibson of Wilmington, N.C., and Madeline Blickley of Santa Barbara, Calif.

Funeral services will be held today, Friday, Oct. 3, at First Baptist Church of Calvert County in Prince Frederick.

The Rev. Ralph Nevin will officiate.

Interment with military honors will be held at Christ Church Episcopal in Port Republic.

Pallbearers will be Dale Grigg, Aaron Padgett, John Grigg, Jim smith, Steve Smith and Tom Stuhl.

Memorial contributions can be made to the First Baptist Church of Calvert County Building Fund or the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association.