Roland B. Simmons was born September 25, 1924 in Cincinnati, Ohio to LeRoy Simmons and Myrtle Hafner. Our husband, father grandfather and great-grandfather passed away on December 20, 2007 in the St. George Hospital and returned to his Heavenly Father leaving his worldly pain behind.

Rolly as everybody called him, was married three times. He was married the first time for 19 years. From that marriage he leaves behind 8 children, 23 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren. From his second marriage he leaves behind 2 children after 6 years.

Rolly loved the police department, wherever there was a badge he went. He went to work for the Cincinnati Police Department at the age of 17. He worked there for 19 years. He then went to Gila Bend, Arizona and served 6 years on their Police Department. While there, Rolly joined the LDS Church in Mesa. He wanted to learn more about the church so he moved to St. George, where he was hired to patrol Bloomington when it was being developed in 1969. He met and married Clara Myers West and helped raise her 3 children: Verda (Gary Barnett), Donald (Julie), Donna (Leonard Caron). Rolly then went to work for the St. George Police Department, where he stayed until 1979. The family then moved to Caliente, Nevada where he found his next badge working for the Caliente Police Department until the department was abolished and turned over to the Sheriff’s Office.

Rolly was a police officer and Police Chief of Caliente for 12 years. He then became a sworn deputy for the Sheriff’s Department until he died. Rolly was a member of the Caliente City Council for 12 years he loved his parks, and a member of the Caliente Masonic Lodge for many years. He was an avid ham radio operator and would sit at his radio for 3 hours every night waiting for the roll calls. Rolly was presented the Policemen of the Year award by the Elks Club of St. George for the year 1990-1991. Rolly received an honorable discharge from the Army in 1943.

Rolly loved photography and took lots of pictures. He took a camera repair course and fixed cameras for 10 years while in St. George. After he moved to Caliente, he became a gun smith and did gun repairs while selling guns out of his home. He was responsible for the Caliente shooting club and firing range. Rolly leaves behind in Caliente his wife Clara of 38 years, daughter Verda and son Donald: grandchildren Gary O., Justin and Casey Barnett, Angelyn (Marshall) McCrosky, Phillip Campeau, Cheyenne West, Koby Budy, Chad Isom, and many wonderful friends and neighbors. In St. George he leaves his mother-in-law Verda Myers, and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. Rolly is preceded in death by his father-in-law Oscar Myers and daughter Donna Caron. He will be missed by many, especially his dog and faithful companion Daisy, who never left his side. Service date and time pending.