A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Geraldine Simonds, D.C., was celebrated on February 19, 2020, at The Sarah Community Marian Chapel in Bridgeton, Missouri; burial followed at Marillac Cemetery in Normandy, Missouri. Sister Geraldine died February 17, 2020 at The Sarah Community. She was 97 years of age and 77 years vocation as a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.
Born January 5, 1923 in Boston, Massachusetts, Sister Geraldine was the daughter of Frank E. and Margaret A. (Carlin) Simonds. Sister was a 1941 graduate of St. Vincent High School, San Francisco, California.
Sister Geraldine entered the Daughters of Charity in St. Louis from St. Charles Borromeo Parish, San Francisco in June of 1942. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Fontbonne College (now University), St. Louis in 1949.
After completing her initial formation, Sister Geraldine entered the ministry of education, where she served for nearly 40 years as an Elementary Teacher at the following schools: St. Vincent Grade School, Perryville, Missouri (1943 to 1949); Holy Trinity School, Dallas, Texas (1949 to 1950); Cathedral Grade School, Natchez, Mississippi (1950 to 1957); St. Patrick School, St. Louis (1957 to 1960); Holy Trinity School, Dallas (1960 to 1965); St. Catherine Labouré School, St. Louis (1965 to 1970); St. Ann School, Dallas, (1970 to 1971); and St. Boniface School, Perryville, Missouri (1971 to 1982).
In 1982, Sister Geraldine was missioned to Keokuk, Iowa to serve in Parish Ministry at All Saints Parish (1982 to 1985); then, in 1986, Sister was missioned once again to the St. Louis area to serve as a Patient Visitor in Health Ministry at DePaul Health Center, Bridgeton, Missouri (1986 to 1992). In 1992, Sister Geraldine was missioned to Texas, where she served for the next 15 years in Volunteer Services at several hospitals and centers in the Ft. Worth/Dallas areas: St. Joseph Hospital in Ft. Worth (1992 to 1994) and Plaza Medical Center East (1994 to 1995); St. Paul Medical Center (1995 to 2001) and St. Paul University Hospital (2001 to 2004) in Dallas. She then served in Parish Ministry in Coppell, Texas at St. Ann Parish (2003 to 2007) and St. Joseph Village (2004 to 2007). In 2007, Sister Geraldine joined the Ministry of Prayer at The Sarah Community where she served until the time of her death.
Sister Geraldine was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Frank E. Simonds, Jr. and George Simonds; and her sister Margaret Simonds. She is survived by her two brothers, Herbert Simonds of Washington, D.C., and Frank Curry of Santee, California; nieces and nephews; many friends; and her Sisters in Community.