John L. Simms Jr.

SOUTH WILMINGTON, Ill. — Mr. John L. "Muffler" Simms Jr., 65, of South Wilmington, Ill., passed away Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, at Morris Hospital in Morris, Ill.

Funeral services will be at the United Methodist Church in South Wilmington at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 2., with the Rev. Dennis Brooks and Pastor Greg Linkous officiating. Interment with military honors will be in Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, at R.W. Patterson Funeral Homes, Ltd., South Wilmington Chapel.

Born Jan. 17, 1947, in Joliet, Ill., he was a veteran of the United States Army, having served in Vietnam. John retired from the Laborer’s Union.

A Member of the VFW in South Wilmington, he attended the Abundant Live Fellowship in Custer Park. The previous owner of Reco’s Tap in South Wilmington, he was a DJ, avid NASCAR and Chicago Cubs fan, and enjoyed gardening.

Surviving are his mother, Dorothy (Ulbrich) Simms of South Wilmington; his fiancée, Suzanne Lee of South Wilmington; one daughter, Cori (Jim) Hedlund of Maple Park, Ill.; Suzanne’s children, whom he treated as his own, William (Carol) Zacharis of Custer Park, Ill., Andrea (Ed) Foley of Essex Ill., David (Katie) Zacharis of Lockport, Ill., and Cathy Manley; 12 grandchildren, Emma Hedlund, Morgan and Logan Zacharias, Michael, Samantha and Christopher Zacharias, Mary Madison Foley, Angela and Thomas Zacharis, and Tiffany, Kimberly, and Britney Manley; three great-grandchildren; two brothers, David (Kathy) Simms and Bill Simms, both of South Wilmington; four sisters, Cheryll (Javier) Rodriguez of Joliet, Donna Simms of Morris, Jill Princko of Wilmington, Ill., and Cindy Biebuck of Braceville, Ill.; one brother-in-law, Ralph Countryman of South Wilmington; and several nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death were his father, John L. “Jack” Simms Sr.; one sister, Luann Countryman; and Stephen Zacharias.

In lieu of flowers, memorial may be directed to the family.

R.W. Patterson Funeral Homes, Ltd., 2nd & Lemmon, South Wilmington, is in charge of arrangements. For additional information, call the funeral home at (815) 458-2336.