Max Allen Simmons

Max Allen Simmons, 81, died peacefully at the Dozier Big Bend Hospice House in Tallahassee, Florida on July 21, 2023, just five days before his 82nd birthday. Max was born in Port Arthur, Texas on July 26, 1941, to Clyde Simmons and Marietta Youngblood Simmons. Max decided at a very young age that he wanted to see the world. He joined the Navy, enlisting as a medic at the San Diego Naval Base. He worked as an EMT while in college. He married Jeannie Frost of San Diego, and they had two children, Cheryl and Michael Simmons. After several years, Jeannie and Max divorced. Max moved to Mexico City where he met his second wife Mara on an airplane. She heard a voice inside her say, “this is the man for you”. Six weeks later, they were married. They were married two months shy of their fiftieth wedding anniversary. They had two children, Brandon and Ashley. Max spent his career as an international cargo airline consultant providing logistical and operational support for the U.S. military and Joint Special Operations Command. He grew to be a leader in the industry and was very loyal to his profession and to every individual operation. Max’ job fulfilled his adventurous spirit: His adventures included transporting white rhinoceroses from South Africa to Montana; flying thoroughbred racehorses from the Kentucky Derby to Belmont Park in New York; shipping cattle from all over the world to Iran for the Shah of Iran; organizing thousands of pilgrims during their Hajj to Mecca; having a special sling made to keep Shamu, a white killer whale, wet during her flight from Florida to the west coast; flying airplanes filled with dynamite as cargo to Latin America; delivering foreign currency printed in the U.S. Mint to its destination; flying jet fighter planes with their wings detached inside a 747 under radio silence to a landing site in Chile. During the conflict over the Falkland Island between Argentina and the United Kingdom. He helped rescue Texaco employees and embassy personnel in Libya as his airplane came under gunfire. He lived in many different places including Mexico, Puerto Rico, Germany, Kenya, and Malta, to name a few. He moved his family to several locations including West Germany. Max also showed his bravery at home, where he served as a volunteer firefighter. He loved to listen to the police scanner and was often the first to respond to an accident. On one occasion after his retirement, he was at home listening to the police scanner and heard a call about a fire nearby. Max was the first to arrive at the scene, broke down the door of the burning house, and rescued a paraplegic man who had been sleeping by carrying him out to safety. The next day, Max brought the man a smoke detector and installed it in his home. Max leaves a legacy of doing “the right thing” no matter the obstacles. He was a champion of the underdog and treated everyone with respect and honesty. He was once flying in Central America and noticed that the airport crew did not have shoes. On his next trip to the U.S., Max personally bought the entire crew steel toed boots to make sure they were safe. Max prided himself on evolving politically and went from red to blue to canvas for President Obama. When his grandson was born in Sweden to his Swedish daughter in-law and his son, Max, his wife, and their daughter spent some time in Sweden. He decided that Sweden was a political role model in providing quality of life for its citizens. From then on, he became outspoken about politics. Max’s motto was “family first.” He loved his family dearly and would drop everything to help when needed. Max welcomed his mother-in-law, who lived with Max and his family for 23 years. He and his wife, Mara, also opened their home to friends, cousins, nieces, and nephews from Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador, and Argentina to live with them at various times. Max treated them all like sons and daughters. They recall the stories of him taking them camping and fishing in Valle Bravo, Mexico, teaching them how to ride his motorcycle in Texas, and caring for each of them. Max and Brandon had the finest memories camping at Big Bend National Park, crossing the Rio Grande River, camping, hunting, and driving with the rest of the family from Arkansas to Mexico City and RVing in Europe on family vacations. He also shared a passion for fly fishing with Brandon, traveling around Costa Rica and Mexico and collecting antiques and antique woodworking tools. Max is preceded in death by his parents, Clyde Allen Simmons and Marietta Youngblood Simmons and his sister Mary Faye Landry (Kenneth James, deceased). He is survived by his adoring wife Mara A. Simmons, who was his caregiver as he battled frontal temporal dementia and primary progressive aphasia during the last years of his life. He is also survived by his siblings Clyde Denson (“Buddy”) Simmons (Sue) of Port Arthur, Texas and Della Best (Bob) of Dallas, Texas and four wonderful children: Cheryl Simmons, Michael Simmons, Brandon Simmons (Izabella), Ashley Means (Malcolm); and ten grandchildren: Mikaele MacGregor, Clyde Simmons, Aaron Simmons Francisco, Keilani Simmons Francisco, Ian Simmons Francisco, Julian Simmons, Elise Simmons, Francisco Means, Agustin Means and Louis Oliver Means. Memorial services will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Saturday, August 5 at 11am. He will be put to rest in the National Cemetery in Tallahassee, Florida. The family would like to extend gratitude to everyone at Big Bend Hospice who so lovingly cared for Max and to the Dozier House and its staff whose kindness, compassion and care during Max’s last days will never be forgotten. In lieu of flowers, Memorial gifts may be directed to Big Bend Hospice: https://bigbendhospice.charityproud.org/Donate The family is being assisted by Jackie Fulford and James Sircy, of Young Fulford Funeral Home and Crematory, Tallahassee, Florida. 850.610.4444

Max Allen Simmons

July 26, 1941 - July 21, 2023