Biography: PATRICIA SIMMONS JEFFRIES of Little Rock passed away August 17, 2020. She was born in Dewitt on December 7, 1956 to the late Walter E. “Bo” and the late Frances Wilson Simmons. Pat was a mother, homemaker, gardener, seamstress, volunteer, and most recently a proud grandmother, affectionately named, Puddin. She was a special Southern lady who was a friend to many far and wide.
Pat moved to Helena-West Helena at age three, and called the Twin Cities home for the rest of her school days through college. She graduated from the Morning Glory Kindergarten at the West Helena Methodist Church, and later was a member of the fourth graduating class at DeSoto School in 1975. Her love of fashion and sewing earned her a BS in Home Economics from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1979, where she was a Chi Omega.
She put her degree to excellent use for the next 41 years creating a beautiful home and family. Pat was a talented seamstress who created smocked dresses and French hand sewn dresses for her daughters, Chase and Marly. Perhaps her favorite sewing skill was needlepoint, which she began in college. Pat was a creative needlepoint artist employing complex stitches that became beautiful, vibrant pieces adorning her home and condo at Baywood in Hot Springs.
As a volunteer, she served on the Junior League Board, and in various roles in her children’s school activities at The Cathedral School and Mount St. Mary. She was a Master Gardener, and loved to garden with Curtis. Pat was invited to become a member of the Little Rock Garden Club, where she served as Secretary for two years.
In addition to gardening and sewing, Pat had two favorite pastimes, raising and loving her Golden Retrievers, currently, Putter and Merigold, and horse racing. She was general manager of Trimline Racing, LLC and a partner in several Ten Strike Racing partnerships. Most Saturdays, she could be found at Oaklawn cheering for one of the Ten Strike horses. Some of her best memories came from racing trips with friends to Saratoga and to Pimlico for the Preakness Stakes last year to watch Warriors Charge come in fourth. Pat’s silent prayer before every race was for every horse and jockey to have a safe trip.
Pat is survived by her husband of forty years, Curtis Jeffries, and her daughters, Elizabeth Chaffin Jeffries of New Orleans and Martha Tully Jeffries Gammill (Taylor) and grandson, Robert Taylor “Bo” Gammill, IV of Little Rock. Her surviving siblings include, Walter E. Simmons, Junior (Diana) of Oklahoma City, William L. Simmons (Carol) of Marion, and Karen Sue Simmons Pennington (John) of Newport, and several nieces and nephews.
The family would like to particularly thank Pat’s physicians, Dr. Dean Kumpuris, Dr. Joe Beck and Dr. Drew Kumpuris who provided superior health care, advice, counsel and compassion. Also, a special thanks to the entire staff at St. Vincent Infirmary, who made her comfortable in every way.
A private service for family and close friends will be held outside at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Columbarium garden on Friday, August 21 at 10am. Reverends Danny Schieffler and Michael McCain will officiate. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1000 North Mississippi Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72207; or St. Vincent Infirmary, 2 St. Vincent Circle, Little Rock, AR 72205; or Memphis Area Golden Retriever Rescue, P.O. Box 383122, Germantown, TN 38183, or a charity of your choosing.