Rev. Dorothy Madeline Waymon Simmons was born on March 7, 1929, one of eight children, to the late John D. and Mary Kate Waymon in Tryon, N.C.  She died suddenly Monday, June 13, 2011 at her home in Atlanta, Ga. She was 82 years of age.
As a child, she joined St. Luke CME Church in Tryon, played piano and sang with the choir and two sisters known as “The Waymon Sisters.” At the time of her death, she was retired as an ordained minister and elder in the CME conference in Atlanta, Ga. She was also retired from administrative social work in Atlanta. For many years, Mrs. Simmons was a nurse and a beautician in New York, N.Y.
She graduated from Tryon Colored School, earned a bachelor of arts degree in Sacramento, Calif., and a master’s degree in theology from Emory University in Atlanta.
Her memorial service will be at noon Saturday, July 30 at Columbia Senior Residences at MLK Village, 125 Logan St SE, Atlanta, Ga. 30312. Her body was cremated. A Tryon memorial service will be announced at a later date.
Survivors are three sons, Allen (Rudy) Waymon of Syracuse, N.Y., Kenneth Simmons of Houston, Texas, and Lovell Simmons (Andrea) of Lawrenceville, Ga.; one sister, Frances Fox of Riverdale, Ga.; three brothers, John Irvin Waymon of Antelope, Calif., Carrol Waymon of San Diego, Calif. and Samuel Waymon of Nyack, N.Y.; and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by both parents; a son, Van Waymon; two sisters, Lucille Waddell and Nina Simone (Eunice) and a brother, Harold Waymon Sr.
Her family will gather at the home of a granddaughter, Mrs. Jamelle Waymon-Banks, 237 Ashland Park Ct., Lawrenceville, Ga. 30045 or contact sister, Ms. Frances Fox, at 678-862-3800.