Obituary

Katherine Elizabeth Simmons

March 3, 1954 - September 1, 2026

Katherine Elizabeth (“Katie”) Simmons, a resident of Annandale, Virginia, passed away unexpectedly on September 1, 2026. Katie was born March 3, 1954, and was raised in Fairfax County, VA. Katie was the only daughter of Bettie and Howard Simmons, both originally from Louisiana. From her parents, Katie acquired a great love for Louisiana and was interested in all things Louisiana. Katie worked in the Fairfax County school system as a special education assistant and later as an elementary school administrative assistant. She always made sure the children at her school knew about Mardi Gras. She always ordered a king cake from New Orleans for the school and had a collection of Mardi Gras beads and earrings to wear that day.

In 2025, Katie retired from Fairfax County Public Schools after 47 years of service! She loved working with children and referred to the children and her colleagues as her “school family”. Katie worked with generations of Fairfax County families. In recent years, she took great pride in registering children whose parents she had served when they were children.

Outside of work, her great passions were birding and genealogy. She loved travelling and for many years took advantage of summer vacation to go on long trips with her parents to numerous national parks, where she found many new birds to include in her birding journals.

Later in life, Katie developed a keen interest in genealogy and spent countless hours researching her ancestral history on genealogy websites. She uncovered countless bits of fascinating information about her family’s past and enjoyed sharing what she discovered with friends and relatives.

Katie was preceded in death by her loving parents Robert H. and Helen Elizabeth Cantrelle Simmons of Franklinton, Louisiana.

Katie is survived by her brothers, Robert M. Simmons (Elizabeth) of Oakland, Maryland and James H. Simmons (Peggy) of Marrero, LA, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Visitation will be at Crain Funeral Home (1109 Bene Street, Franklinton, LA) at 12:00 pm Saturday, September 19, 2026, with the funeral service to follow at 1:00 pm. Burial will follow at Ellis Cemetery.