Half-Staff: Member Tributes

This page was established in January 2015 to provide information about our members who have answered the final bugle call. (Obituaries are maintained on this page for one year after passing.)

Patricia Sims

Died January 20, 2024
Patricia Ann (Vores) Sims, age 79 of Snellville, GA. passed away Saturday, January 20, 2024. She is preceded in death by her parents, Clarence & Virginia Vores; sister, Jean Robison; brother, Michael Vores; and granddaughter, Christa Culpepper. She is survived by her husband, Truitt C Sims, Jr.; son, Truitt C Sims III; daughter-in-law, Tracy Sims; daughter, Jacqueline S Wiest; son-in-law, Steve Wiest; sister, Susan Axley; brother, Clinton Vores; 6 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren.

Patricia graduated from Butler High School in Missouri and was honorably discharged from the United States Air Force in 1968. She worked as a dental technician in California until relocating to Cheyenne, Wyoming where she met her loving husband. They were happily married for 54 years. She retired as a Rural Mail Carrier in 1998. She spent the rest of her days caring for older people, volunteering, working for charities, and was politically astute. She enjoyed bird watching, gardening, patriotism, antiques, Scuba diving, snow skiing, trips with “the girls”, and spending time with her grandchildren.

A gathering to celebrate the life of Patricia Ann Vores Sims was held on Tuesday, January 30, 2024 from 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM at Tom M. Wages Snellville Chapel, Snellville, GA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Tunnel to Towers, www.t2t.org.

William Montgomery

May 5, 1934—July 21, 2024
DECATUR – William “Bill” Montgomery, 90, of Decatur, IL, passed away at 1:45 p.m., Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Hickory Point Christian Village.

A service to celebrate Bill’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday July 26, 2024, at Calvert & Wikoff Funeral Home, Mt. Zion. The family will receive friends for visitation prior to the service beginning at 1:00 p.m until service time. Interment will be in Point Pleasant Cemetery, Long Creek, with military honors provided by the Macon County Honor Guard and the US Naval Honors Team. Memorials can be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Shriner’s Hospital for Children.

Bill was born May 5, 1934, in Decatur, IL, the son of Mildred and Chester Montgomery. Bill served in the Navy for 20 years. Much of his Naval career was served upon the U.S.S. Yorktown. Upon retiring from the Navy, Bill worked at Norfolk & Western railroad for five years and retired from U.S.I. Chemical in Tuscola in 1997 after 20 years.

Surviving is his wife Betty of Decatur; children: Lisa Montgomery of Decatur, Terry Montgomery of Ohio, Bill Montgomery (Autumn) of Decatur, and Linda Huck (Greg) of Decatur; twelve grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents; and both his sisters, Mary and Margie.

The family would like to thank all of the caregivers of History Point Christian Village for all their love, support, and kindness the last 15 months.