Biography:

Maude Watkins Simmons of Little Rock, Arkansas, known to generations of children simply as Ms. Maudie, died at the age of 94 on All Saints’ Day, November 1, 2026, in Little Rock. Born in Little Rock on February 29, 1932, she lived a long, rich, and beautiful life devoted to children, to art, and to the people she gathered around her.

A graduate of the University of Arkansas and a proud Pi Beta Phi sister, Maudie taught High School Art in Virginia before returning home to Arkansas, where she became an artist and arts teacher at the Arkansas School for the Deaf. Her leadership in her field led her to serve as president of the Arkansas Art Educators Association. Above every title, what mattered most to her was working with children.

She maintained a school fund at the Arkansas School for the Deaf in Little Rock. By the time she was ready to retire, it held enough to provide activities for her students, and she made a decision that said everything about who she was: she spent it on them, throwing parties at the school for two years, complete with tethered hot air balloon rides for the kids.

Her great loves were her husband, James E. Simmons (Jim), and her son, Tom Stringfield. Maudie and Jim met in a photography class, a passion she kept for her entire life, and together they traveled the world extensively, visiting Europe and Australia. When Tom and Julia were getting married, Maudie threw Julia a bridal shower, one more gathering, one more way of welcoming someone into the family.

Maudie loved a good meal and cooked legendary holiday meals, her sweet potatoes her signature. She danced to jazz, was a devoted fan of Sinatra, and filled her home with music. She loved bicycle rides, cherished every chance to dress up for Halloween, her favorite holiday, and spend it with children, and her gifts were always creative, always inspiring to those around her. Born on leap day, her birthday parties were celebrations in their own right.

Her Catholic faith was a quiet anchor of her life. Our Lady of the Holy Souls was her parish home, and she served on the committee for the Diocese of Little Rock's sesquicentennial celebration. She was a patron of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts and a member of the Aesthetic Club, and she loved the local restaurants of Little Rock and the friends she met at every table. Her life carried her from Little Rock to Alexandria, Virginia, to Wichita Falls, San Francisco, Danville, and Conway, and back home to Little Rock, where she built deep and lasting connections in her community.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Guy Anderson Watkins and Maud Boyle Watkins; her brothers, Guy Watkins Jr, Sport Watkins, and Frank Watkins; her sisters, Virginia Turner and Carolyn Watkins; and her husband, James E. Simmons. She is survived by her son, Tom Stringfield, and his wife, Julia; her stepson, James Simmons Jr.; and her stepdaughter, Bonita “Bonnie” Ridgeway, sisters-in-law Jane and Pat, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

A Rosary will be held at Our Lady of the Holy Souls Friday November 6 at 2:00pm followed by a Mass of Christian Burial officiated by Father Lawerance Frederick at 2:30pm. A grave side service will be held on Monday November 9 at 12:00pm at Pinecrest Memorial Park in Alexander AR.

She believed a life should be lived beautifully and shared generously, and hers was. That she died on All Saints' Day, the day after the Halloween she cherished, feels fitting for a woman who spent her life lifting up children and gathering people in love. Arrangements are under the direction of RuebelFuneralHome.com