The daughter of an avid gardener, Eileen Simms developed an affinity for horticulture at a young age. She was particularly fond of daylilies, making regular visits to White Oak Farm in Edisto Island, S.C. to experience daylily blooming season.
She was a member of numerous gardening clubs and societies, including the Georgia Native Plant Society, Marietta Gardeners Club, American Hydrangea Society, American Horticultural Society and the Cobb County Daylily Society.
“If there was a plant club, she belonged to it,” said her son Shawn Simms of Savannah, also a gardening enthusiast who runs a plant nursery. “She had a thirst for knowledge about plants.”
Eileen Mary Simms died unexpectedly on Feb. 27 at her home in Marietta after experiencing declining health due to Sjorgen’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease. She was 55. A memorial service has been planned for noon Saturday at H.M. Patterson & Son, Oglethorpe Hill Chapel, which is also in charge of arrangements.
Eileen Simms was born in Falls Church, Va., on Aug. 6, 1956, to Jerome A. Waystack and Kathryn Chamoun Waystack. She graduated from St. Pius X Catholic High School, and earned a bachelor’s degree in business information systems from Georgia State University. She worked in information technology at Cobb County School District for many years until her illness prevented her from doing so.
In addition to gardening, Mrs. Simms enjoyed raising Arabian horses; she was caring for two aged horses when she died.
“She had her first horse at the age of 12,” said her sister Kathy Kunz of Cumming.
“We always had horses growing up,” Mr. Simms said nostalgically, recalling the eight-acre farm where he was raised.
Mrs. Simms was devoted to community efforts as well. She was involved with the Community Emergency Response Team Program (CERT), and served as a Boy Scout Leader for Troop 750 for many years.
"She was always busy," said Mr. Simms, who attained the rank of Eagle Scout. "She went one hundred miles an hour -- when she slowed down she was probably going the speed of most average people.”
People who knew Mrs. Simms describe her as committed, patient and nurturing in everything she did.
“She was a dedicated member – you could always depend on her,” said Diane Waldrop of Marietta, who started the Cobb County Daylily Society in 2004 with her husband, Bill Waldrop. “Whatever we needed her to do, she just jumped right in and did it.”
She was a caring and considerate person who, according to Mrs. Waldrop, never missed the organization's garden sale, always the first to arrive and the last to leave. "I don’t know how we can have our sale in June without Eileen," she said.
A garden composed of daylilies, harvested from Mrs. Simms' home in Marietta, has been planted in her honor at her son's home in Savannah.
"The daylilies made her happy, especially during her illness," her son said. "It's a nice way to remember her."
In addition to her son and sister, Mrs. Simms is also survived by a second son, Colin Simms of Atlanta; and brothers, Jerry Waystack of Orangeburg, S.C., and Frank Chavis Waystack of Atlanta.
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