William Earl Vincent Simmons

In loving memory of William Earl Vincent Simmons, August 24, 1956-October 25, 2025. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of William Simmons, age 69, of Halifax. He is lovingly remembered and missed by his children, Christian (Anne-Lise Griffon), Heather, and Jeffrey (Gaby Munoz), and grandchildren, Elliott Griffon-Simmons, Charlotte Simmons, and Eleonor Simmons Munoz. He and his wife Dinah (Chapman) were separated but always remained very close and supportive. He is also survived by his sisters, Janet and Anita, Aunt Catherine, Uncle Peter, his Simmons, Hennigar, and Michieli relatives, as well as his Chapman in-laws. He was predeceased by his parents and grandparents. He is deeply loved and greatly missed by his family and his numerous friends. He loved all of his family very much and was grateful for their love and support. William was a talented musician, with a great knowledge of and love for music, which he shared with his sons and their friends (who called him “Rock Dad”), and with many others. He loved spending time in nature, and Dinah and Heather have many fond memories of walks and road trips, as well as times just hanging out at the house. William was an electrician and was very interested in how things worked, mechanical and otherwise. He was a great seeker of knowledge and loved to share (or overshare!) it. Social justice was very important to William. He had great concern for marginalized people, and for environmental issues. He had a great interest in and respect for Indigenous culture. William had a deep, mystical spirituality, expressed in his love of nature and his sense of connection to all people and all of creation. He was kind and generous, made friends easily, and connected with many different kinds of people. He was incredibly outgoing and fun-loving, and his children are enjoying sharing memories of “woof your cookies ice cream parties” and many zany antics and adventures during their childhood. He loved a good in-joke (even if he was the only one who understood it!), and he had a Beatles or Marx Brothers reference for every situation. His fifty-year struggle with mental illness began as a teenager: a very difficult battle, for him and for his loved ones, but despite it or through it, he grew in empathy, wisdom, and spirituality. He tried his best to shower love upon the world. A funeral will be held at a later date, when absent family members can be present. If you would like to make a donation in William’s memory, we would suggest a mental health foundation, or an outreach mission such as Soul’s Harbour, Hope Cottage, or the Mikmaw Native Friendship Centre.

William Earl Vincent Simmons

August 24, 1956 - October 25, 2025