Obituary for James Ellis Simms at Wm. Reese & Sons Mortuary, P.A. (2024)

James Ellis Simms

February 8, 1961 - August 1, 2021

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~MASK REQUIREMENT ~
At all times, everyone must wear a mask inside the funera
l home.

~CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE~
Saturday, August 14, 2021
Public Viewing/Wake: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Funeral: 11:00 a.m.
at
William Reese and Sons Mortuary, P.A.
1922 Forest Drive
Annapolis, MD 21401

~VIRTUAL SERVICE~

Due to the continuous uptick in numbers with the pandemic, in-person attendance at the funeral service, at Reese and Sons Mortuary, will be limited to 60 people. In lieu of being able to physically attend the funeral service, all are welcomed to watch the live stream service, via Zoom, by clicking on the following link on Saturday, August 14, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2897890676.

~THE OBITUARY~
To view the full program, click on the "View Photo Galleries" tab, located under Send A Card.

James Ellis Simms, also known as “Dean” or “Bucky,” was born on February 8, 1960, in Baltimore, MD. He was preceded in death by his father Lawrence William Booze. He spent his early years with his mother, Ozella M. Thomas, and his step-father, James Ellis “Hop” Blunt. At the age of six, he went to live with his maternal grandmother, Elsie Parker Simms (deceased), who raised him to adulthood.

As a teenager, James attended Bladensburg High School. There he displayed his athletic abilities as a wrestler and football player, which resulted in many awards and trophies. James spent most of his career in Public Works and the latter part of his career was spent working for the Prince George’s County Public School System from which he retired.

James’ cousin Kimberly has a best friend named Rochelle Fletcher. Every time Kimberly would bring Rochelle around the family, James would always try to talk to her, but she always said no. This cat and mouse game went on for a couple of years. Then one weekend in August 1998, Rochelle, James and his mother Ozella were at an all-star baseball game. James introduced Rochelle to everyone as his Fiancé. The next day, they all went back to see another baseball game and now he was introducing Rochelle as his wife. The three of them sat side by side watching the baseball game and Rochelle nudge Ozella and told her to look at her son. James was rubbing Rochelle’s knee. His mother Ozella said “Bucky why are you rubbing on her leg?” and he replied, “Well you have to start somewhere.” Needless to say, from that day on he and Rochelle remained together for 23 years until he died.

Everyone knows James was a big dreamer. After retiring, he decided to start his own recycling and trash removal business, which he referred to as his “Empire.” He was so proud of himself. Another fact that everyone knows about James is he loved his family. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to help you if he could. He made a point to show his mother how much he loved her by the thoughtful things he would do for her. He would take her a soda and a donut 6:30 am before he would start his day. Sometimes he would call his mother and tell her to come to the door and when she did, he would give her a big kiss and a hug and tell her that’s all he came by for.

He not only loved Rochelle, but happily stepped into the roll of step-father and grandfather and he loved every minute of it. He finally had his own family to love and care for and he took his role seriously. He also, loved to brag about his grandchildren and their accomplishments.

Although his step-son, Darius Fletcher, preceded him in death, James leaves to cherish his memory, his mother, Ozella M. Thomas of Capitol Heights, MD; Fiancé, Rochelle Fletcher of Glenarden, MD; one step-daughter, Shatara Fletcher; four grandsons, DaMarius Fletcher, DaMarco Fletcher, D’Arjey Fletcher and Darius Fletcher, Jr.; one granddaughter, Sania Fletcher; two brothers, Dirk Booze and Lawrence Booze, Jr.; two sisters, Detanja Booze and Detra Jones; two sisters-in-law, Crystal Randall-Booze and Dawn Booze; one brother-in-law, Clifford Jones; four nephews, one niece, and a host of cousins, friends and other loving relatives.


To plant Memorial Trees in memory of James Ellis Simms, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.

SERVICES

Viewing

Saturday, August 14, 2021
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

WM. REESE & SONS MORTUARY, P.A.
1922 Forest Drive
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Wake

Saturday, August 14, 2021
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

WM. REESE & SONS MORTUARY, P.A.
1922 Forest Drive
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Funeral Service

Saturday, August 14, 2021
11:00 AM

WM. REESE & SONS MORTUARY, P.A.
1922 Forest Drive
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Interment

Saturday, August 14, 2021

Adams United Methodist Church Cemetery
937 Bayard Road
Lothian, Maryland 20711

Print Obituary

Obituary for James Ellis  Simms at Wm. Reese & Sons Mortuary, P.A. (2024)

FAQs

How do I find old obituaries in PA? ›

United States » Pennsylvania » Obituaries
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  3. FamilySearch Wiki - Pennsylvania Obituaries.
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Who are the survivors in an obituary? ›

When you list the survivors, make sure that you list them in order of closest relation to the deceased: spouse, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, parents, and siblings.

Are Pennsylvania death records online? ›

Pennsylvania legislation allows access to statewide death records 50 years and older and statewide birth records 105 years and older. Indexes to the records are available at the Pennsylvania Department of Health website. Additional online records include those kept by the various counties or cities of Pennsylvania.

How do I look up when someone died? ›

Places to look for Death Records
  1. Church records of deaths and burials.
  2. City and County civil registrations.
  3. Family Bibles and personal histories.
  4. FamilySearch in the Catalog Search, Records Search, and Historic Books.
  5. Google and other website search sites, and don't forget to search Google Books.
Aug 11, 2023

What not to put in an obituary? ›

When writing an obituary, leave out details that could be used for identity theft, such as the deceased's date and place of birth, middle name, maiden name and mother's maiden name. And don't include the deceased's home address.

Are ex wives included in obituaries? ›

If the deceased was divorced, it can be worth it to include this information in the obituary, especially if they were close afterwards or had children. The obituary should list the names of the ex-spouses as well as any children from those marriages.

Who normally reads the obituary at a funeral? ›

This reading may be performed by a family member, a close friend, or a designated individual. The purpose of the obituary reading is to share important details about the deceased person's life, allowing everyone present to reflect on their accomplishments, relationships, and contributions.

How do I find a death notice in pa? ›

​County Courthouses in ​​Pennsylvania

Courthouses are important places to look for birth, marriage and death records. These are usually found in the Register of Wills office in each county.

How far back do Pennsylvania birth records go? ›

Birth and Death Records

Original birth certificates for 1906-1918 and death certificates for 1906-1973 are available at the State Archives. Digital copies of the 1906-1914 birth certificates and the 1906-1970 death certificates may be found on Ancestry.comOpens In A New Window.

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Obituaries and death notices can be published by alumni organizations, religious or community institutions, and professional organizations, or online.

Are obituaries public domain? ›

Copyright and Obituaries. To be clear, obituaries are protected by copyright. They are creative works of expression that are fixed into a tangible medium of expression. Both the text and the images that make up an obituary are protected by copyright (even if the facts and information are not).

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