Liz was born as Elizabeth Anne Heyneman in Berkeley, California to Paul and Alice Heyneman on April 12, 1937. She was the fifth of six children in the blended Heyneman household. Tales of her childhood include walking to John Muir Elementary, playing amongst the trees outside her home, causing trouble at the Claremont Hotel, looking up to her older siblings, vacationing at Tahoe Meadows, and hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains. After attending Berkeley High School for two years, Liz ventured on her own by train to Vermont, where she attended The Putney School. There, she participated in farm duties, made art, strengthened her love of music, and found a deep home. She graduated in 1955 equipped for a lifetime of caring, determination, and joy.
Liz had two goals from an early age: to be a nurse and to be a mother. She attained the first of those goals in 1960 when she graduated with a BS in nursing from Cornell University. Soon after, she moved back to California, and in 1962, while on summer vacation at Tahoe Meadows with her family, she met Bill Simmons. They were married several months later. Liz attained her other goal in 1965 with the birth of her daughter Martha. Liz and Bill had two more daughters, Margaret (Peggy) in 1968 and Elizabeth (Betsy) in 1973. After the family relocated to San Diego, California, Liz worked as a school nurse for nearly 25 years. During that time, in addition to raising children, playing tennis, and choral singing, she became a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (University of California San Diego, 1981) and earned a Masters in Counseling (National University, 1990). Her daughters look back now and wonder how she did it all, especially so well.
In 2002, she retired to Santa Rosa, California, where she spent the next 20 years enjoying life with family, friends, and a wide range of activities. Her sister Nancy lived nearby, and they spent wonderful years visiting, playing tennis, and playing recorders. She sang in madrigal groups, took classes at Sonoma State, and volunteered in many capacities, including performing hearing tests on school children, ushering at the local performing arts center, and acting as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in the foster system. She built a rich network of friends through those activities, her membership in the Center for Spiritual Living, a group that met to analyze their dreams together, a swimming class, and more.
When her grandchildren were born, she traveled down to the Bay Area to care for and visit them, often weekly. Family and children were always her priority, with grandchildren and many nieces and nephews bringing her great joy.
Liz also traveled extensively with friends, family, and singing groups. Highlights included Greece, the Galapagos with daughter Betsy, France to celebrate daughter Peggy's marriage, London, Bhutan and India, many trips to San Diego to visit old friends, taking her granddaughter to sing in a national choral festival in Arizona, and visiting brothers and their families in Montana, Nashville, New York, and Maryland. A highlight of her last years was her 80th birthday at her brother Steve's home in Maryland, where family came from near and far to celebrate.
Liz could talk easily to anyone, held no subject as taboo, and became a trusted confidant for many. She was known for and will be remembered for her love for life, generosity, good humor, smile, laugh, love of music and singing, occasional yodel, and capacity for love.
In the last few years of her life, Liz developed vascular dementia, which along with the pandemic, affected her ability to connect with her cherished family and friends. In 2022, she moved to assisted living in the Bay Area, where she could more easily receive medical care and get ongoing love and attention from her daughters.
Liz was predeceased by her parents, Paul Heyneman and Alice Heyneman; brothers Alan Heyneman, Don Heyneman, and Jack Heyneman; sister Nancy Friedlander; and beloved sister-in-law Martha Heyneman.
Liz became a member at the Center in 2002. We remember her for her bright, vivacious spirit, her love of our teachings and what delight she took in singing and enjoying music. All of us who knew her remember her with love.
A celebration of life will be held on March 16, 2024, at 10 a.m. at the Center for Spiritual Living in Santa Rosa, California.
To RSVP for the celebration or to leave remembrances, please visit Liz’s online memorial site at: https://bit.ly/lizsimmons
In lieu of gifts or flowers, please consider a donation in Liz's name to one of these organizations:
Center for Spiritual
Living Santa Rosa
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