Kristen Simmons

Kristen Simmons passed away peacefully on August 18, 2014, at Four Seasons Hospice with her husband Samuel and parents close by.

Kristen was born in Elgin, IL, graduated from high school in Williamsport, Pa., and received her B.S. from the Syracuse University College of Nursing in 1996. After an internship in NICU at SUNY Syracuse, her work as a traveling nurse took her to Madison, Wisc.; Johns Hopkins; Seattle Children's Hospital; Albuquerque, NM; and finally to NICU in Greenville, SC. She worked in NICU and then Vascular Surgery at Mission Hospital in Asheville for about ten years. Kristen was passionate about children and her professionalism as a nurse.

Her enthusiasm for the outdoors led Kristen into Native American tracking and outdoor survival skills, backpacking, camping, and kayaking. She worked as a counselor-guide in a wilderness survival program for at-risk teenagers. She and her husband, Samuel Ray Simmons, met as kayakers and married on May 20, 2006, sharing a great love of

adventure and the out of doors.

Kristen has imparted her joy for life and her love of books, music, yoga, knitting, kayaking, and out-of-doors
adventure to her daughter Lily, now 10 years old, a beginning kayaker and violinist.

Kristen is survived by her husband Samuel Ray Simmons and their daughter Lily Marie, her parents, Susan and Arnold Andresen of Brevard, along with her aunts and cousins.

Her friends will forever remember her fierce courage, her inquiring spirit, and her dedication to her daughter and husband.

A memorial celebration of Kristen's life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014, at St. Philip's Episcopal Church at 256 E. Main St., Brevard.

In lieu of flowers, Kristen's family requests that donations be made to a fund for Lily's education. Checks should be made to Lily Simmons and mailed to Lily Simmons Custodial Account, First Citizens Bank, ATTN: Jay Wilderman, P.O. Box 749, Hendersonville, NC 28793.