Lynette Simmons
Age - 73
November 29, 2023
Our beloved mother and wife, Lynette Ann Simmons (Goudeau), passed away during the early hours of Thanksgiving morning on November 23, 2023. We are grateful for Lynette and the blessings she brought into our lives. Lynette will remain in our prayers, thoughts, hearts, and memories. Lynette was born into a large and loving family on the first day of March 1950. She was the seventh of eight children born to her father, Burnis Goudeau, and mother, Lula Mae Williams Goudeau. Lynette attended George Washington Carver High School in Baytown, Texas. After high school, Lynette moved to East Lansing, Michigan to attend Michigan State University with her sister Claudith, brother-in-law Gene Washington, and nephew Ted Richard. Lynette formed a close bond with her Michigan State family, laughing and telling jokes while sitting on Ted's leopard print sofa bed. Michigan State was not always a welcoming environment for Lynette and other students of color. Some administrators did not believe Lynette would succeed academically due to her race and socioeconomic background. But Lynette was a fighter and determined to succeed. She graduated from Michigan State in 1973 with a bachelor of science degree in business-retail management. After graduation, Lynette joined Sears, Roebuck, and Company's management training program. Her retail management career lasted over 45 years and included many promotions. Lynette met the love of her life, Spencer Simmons, while studying at Michigan State. The two met on a blind date after Lynette's friend invited her to play cards with Spencer and his friend. Lynette and Spencer talked for hours during their first meeting, neither knowing that their conversation was the beginning of a loving relationship that would last several decades and cross-country moves. Lynette and Spencer celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary this past summer. Their marriage began in August 1974, just two years after their first meeting. After their wedding, Lynette and Spencer left East Lansing, Michigan, and moved to Brooklyn Park, Minnesota where they had their daughter, Tanya Leanne Simmons. After living briefly in Chicago, Lynette, Spencer, and baby Tanya moved to Los Angeles, California. There, the Simmons family grew with the birth of Lynette and Spencer's son, Rashad Anthony Simmons. Lynette and Spencer raised their children in the suburbs of St. Paul, Minnesota, and Dallas, Texas. Lynette cared deeply for her family. She attended every single one of her children's sporting and social events and skillfully ensured the smooth operation of the household when Spencer traveled. Her selfless efforts allowed her family to thrive. Lynette was also a firm believer in the value of hard work. She spent many nights, weekends, and holidays working for Target Corporation, where she climbed the corporate ladder, and was eventually promoted to store manager for the company. Lynette enjoyed her Minnesota friends and neighbors, especially the Simpsons and the Suttons. The Simpson and Sutton families were a blessing to Lynette and the Simmons family because they were the only African-American families living nearby. The Simmons, Simpson, and Sutton families bonded via their shared backgrounds and interests. While in Minnesota, Lynette also visited her sister Claudith, her brother-in-law Gene, and their children. The families often spent Thanksgiving or Christmas together, enjoying Lynette's sweet potato pies and companionship. Lynette was an avid reader. She was a member of the Dakota County black women's book club. She relaxed by drinking wine or tea, lying in her jacuzzi, and going to the movies and restaurants with her family. Lynette and her family moved to the Dallas suburbs in the mid-1990s after Spencer accepted a job relocation with 3M. In Texas, Lynette moved into what she described as her "dream home," because it had a three-car garage and double ovens in the kitchen. Lynette was an excellent cook and she enjoyed baking. Her family will miss her coconut, marble, and 7-Up pound cakes. Lynette retired from Target and retail management in the early 2000s to start a second career as a Plano Independent School District special education teacher. As a teacher, Lynette worked with autistic children who often exhibited behavioral challenges, resulting in Lynette sometimes being bitten by her students or having to ride in an ambulance with a student! Lynette is a true embodiment of resilience and perseverance. Her story is a testament to how much one can achieve with sheer determination and an unwavering spirit. Her resilience and perseverance helped her fight her recent illness as she often maintained a serenity despite dealing with an aggressive illness. Lynette also persevered because she trusted God. She was a lifelong Catholic and believer in prayer. Lynette spent her final years living in a sprawling retirement community in the Dallas area after she and Spencer retired and traded Lynette's dream home for a smaller home. Lynette made new friends in her new community and started hobbies, such as playing bocce ball and participating in civic and community organizations. Lynette also found time to travel with her husband, visiting Alaska, Florida, Chicago, Washington D. C. , and Thailand, to name a few domestic and international destinations. Lynette was a central figure in our lives. She was welcomed into heaven by her heavenly father, her parents, Burnis and Lula Mae Williams Goudeau, brothers Junior and Reggie Goudeau, sisters Arvia Stewart and Bernice Muller, father-in-law Spencer Simmons Sr. , mother-in-law Evelyn Simmons, and sister-in-law Cheryl Lucas. Lynette is loved by her husband and three children, Tanya, Rashad, and son Spencer Simmons III (Kip) from Spencer's first marriage, and two grandchildren Sierra Akina Simmons and Idris Simmons. Lynette is cherished by her surviving sisters Myrtis Richard and Claudith Washington, and her surviving brother, Larry Goudeau. Lynette was adored by many nieces, nephews, and relatives who cared and prayed for her peace and safety. Lynette was honored to care for her nephew Bryan Baccus after her sister-in-law Cheryl Lucas was hospitalized. Lynette was also honored to be the godmother to her nieces Elaine Bushnell and Lisa Mielke. Lynette's family and friends will greatly miss her and we cannot wait to see her again in Heaven. Instead of flowers, the family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Lynette's name. Online donations can be made at https://givenow. lls. org/.Show more
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