Aimee Deann (Simmons) Bess

Funeral services  for Aimee Deann (Simmons) Bess will be held on Tuesday, June 14 at 10:00 am at Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home with Rev. John Webb officiating.

Services are under the direction of Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral home.

Visitation will be held Sunday, June 12, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m and Monday, June 13, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home with special viewing for family and friends from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. 

Aimee Deann (Simmons) Bess was born on May 20, 1975 in Stephenville, Texas to Gary and Patty Simmons. She attended Texas Public Schools, Cache High School, graduating from high school in Reno, Nevada. She attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma and  Baylor University in Waco, Texas where she graduated with a degree in English and obtained her teaching certification. On February 2, 2002 Aimee was united in marriage with CSM Gary Bess at the Christian Church of Cache, Oklahoma. She lived her life with an abiding faith in Jesus. She departed this life on June 8, 2022 at the age of 47 years and 19 days. 
  
Aimee is survived by her husband Gary, stepson Michael Bess of Lawton, stepdaughter Diana Hill and her husband Justin and granddaughter Aubree of Lawton, mother Patty Soltes and her husband Ed of Cache, father Gary Simmons and his wife Deb of Cache, her grandmother Geneva Simmons of Cache, brother Brady Simmons and his wife Jan of Lindale, Texas, brother Derek Soltes and his wife Verr of Houston, Texas, sister Fiona Soltes of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, Aunt Ramona Simmons of Cache, Uncle and Aunt Scott and Victoria Simmons of Cache, nieces and nephews Mary, Caden, Anna, Levi, and Lewis, as well as many cousins.  She was preceded in death by her grandfather Lonnie Simmons and grandparents Dalton and Billie Marie Patterson.

Aimee became a teacher and taught at Lawton High School and Cache High School. Her deep love of learning and enjoyment of teaching made her eyes light up whenever she spoke of her time in the classroom. Her students returned her love and respect even to the last years of her life with messages and occasional surprise visits at her home. Some of her students described her as “the best teacher I’ve ever had.” 

Aimee loved spending the day with her husband watching their favorite shows, spending her time with her granddaughter, and painting and doing crafts. She loved art, nature, travel, flowers and color (often reflected in her hair color and collection of fabulous purses!). She had a great sense of humor and loved to play practical jokes on her brother and her laughter was infectious. She loved her family deeply and had a special place in her heart for children – those in her family and in the classroom. She was strong, bold, creative and funny, the kind of friend and auntie everyone would like to have.

Her favorite bible verse was Matthew 28:20, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” She lived her life like her favorite saying: “If you can be anything, be kind.”

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