Richard D Simmering
(July 10, 1928 – February 21, 2008)
Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m. Monday in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Shelbyville with Father John Sohm officiating. Visitation from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Sunday in Howe and Yockey Funeral Home, Shelbyville with prayer service at 7:00 p.m. and one hour before services Monday at the church. Burial will be in Glenwood Cemetery, Shelbyville with military rites by the Shelby County Honor Guard. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church or Shelbyville Lions Club.
Mr. Simmering was born on July 10, 1928 in Decatur, Illinois, the son of Fred and Sadie Biedert Simmering. Richard graduated from the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina on June 10, 1950, with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a 1st Lieutenant from November 1950 until July 1952. He served in Korea during the Korean War from March 1951 until April 1952. He was the chief engineer for the Shelby Electric Cooperative until his retirement in July of 1990. He was a member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, Roy Vanderpool American Legion Post #81, VFW Post # 4829 and Shelby County Genealogical Society all of Shelbyville, IEEE Rural Electric Committee and the Moultrie Amateur Radio Klub. He was the former chairman of the City of Shelbyville Board of Appeals, the president of the U of I Dads Association from 1982-83 and a past president of the Shelbyville Lions Club. He was an amateur radio operator with the license KB9BWT, he played in the municipal band and helped with 4-H electrical projects. He married Chloanne Gierhart on September 27, 1950. She died on September 11, 1962. He married LaVergne Vera Goralski on August 16, 1968.
Surviving are his wife, LaVergne; daughters, Susan (Tom) Kersey of Mattoon, IL, Karen (Chuck) Block of Joliet, IL, Lauren Goralski of Louisville, KY; sons, John (Marci) Simmering of Norman, OK, Dr. James Michael Simmering of Troy, IL, William (Carla) Simmering of Urbana, IL, Alan Goralski of Shelbyville, IL, Stephen (Jennifer) Simmering of Opheim, IL, Robert (Mary) Simmering of Dededo, Guam, and Steven (Marti) Goralski of Shelbyville, IL. He is also survived by nineteen grandchildren, Kelly West of Buffalo, IL, Mary Kersey of Nampa, ID, Tim (Charity) Kersey of Bloomington, IN, Brian (Nicole) Simmering of Pueblo, CO, Jenny (Jimmie) Rines of Troy, IL, Sarah, Adam and Jeremy Simmering of Troy, IL, Shelby and Jamie Simmering of Urbana, IL, Christopher Simmering of Macomb, IL, Chloanne, Jacob and David Simmering of Opheim, IL, Nicole, Christine and Kelly Anne Simmering of Dededo, Guam, and Sadie and Jake Goralski of Shelbyville, IL. Also surviving are five great grandchildren, Taylor and Brendon West of Buffalo, IL, Julia Kersey of Bloomington, IN, Rachel Rines of Troy, IL and Star Simmering of Pueblo, CO; sisters-in-law, Jane Gierhart and Mary Passaglia of El Prado, NM, Barbara Hart of Streamwood, IL and Shirley Simmering of Mesa, AZ; and brother-in-law, Larry Gierhart of San Antonio, TX.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, James Simmering.