William Roy Simons, age 62, of Cooperstown, Pennsylvania was at home surrounded by family when he passed into eternity on Tuesday, June 27th, 2017 due to a year-long cancer illness.

William was born December 29th, 1954 in Pittsburgh to Otha Simons Jr. and Aileen Ramsey.

Bill was raised on a farm in Butler until he moved with his mother and stepfather Harry Schmidt to the Cochranton area when he was in elementary school.

Bill graduated from Cochranton Area High School in 1972. During his career, he worked in sales, as a mechanic at Joy Manufacturing, and at several area tool shops until he started his own business, Simons Machine and Tool, in 1995.

Bill married his high school sweetheart, Virginia Brown, on June 28th, 1975 at McDaniel’s Corners Bible Church. Virginia and their two sons, Scott and Joel survive. Scott and his wife Debbie reside in Centerville, Ohio with their children Jamison, Brecken, and Virginia. Joel and his wife Sarah live in Boston, Massachusetts and expect a son in September of this year. Bill was never shy about his love and devotion to his family, and he was exceedingly proud of the men Scott, a certified financial planner, and Joel, a psychologist, became.

Bill is also survived by his older brother James Simons of Charleston, South Carolina, his younger sister Bonnie and her husband Ron Nottingham of Conneaut Lake, and his younger sister Nola and her husband Tom Bohlender of Cochranton. He also has two half-brothers, Richard Simons of Ohio and Doug Bortmas of Pennsylvania, along with many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Kay Miller, of North Carolina.

Bill always enjoyed the outdoors, considered himself a farmer at heart, and contented himself on a tractor in his youth and later in life. Those who knew Bill appreciated his attention to detail, his dry sense of humor, and his care for others he expressed in practical ways.

A man of strong Christian faith, Bill anticipated meeting his heavenly Father.

He wanted to thank Acera Hospice and all those who cared and prayed for him.

He will be missed.

Friends and family are invited to call on Saturday, July 1st from 4-7 PM at Dickson Family Funeral Home, Inc, 123 S. Franklin St., Cochranton.

Funeral services will be held there at 2 PM on Sunday, July 2nd.

Interment will be in the Cochranton Cemetery.