Agnes Lorrine Pratt Simms, or Jimmie, as she was known, was born in Ridge, MD on August 19, 1923 and was well on her way to 101 when her health took a turn and she passed away on April 8, 2024 in her Culver City home. She had beaten cancer twice and various other illnesses so many times, she was a fighter.
Jimmie attended Ridge Elementary, a one room all age group school, then on to Great Mills High School before attending St. Mary’s College.
In 1941 Jimmie moved to Washington DC to be with her sister Hattie Pratt and began work at the Pentagon distributing ration books for things such as gasoline and other fuel along with foods (including sugar, meats, cheese). It was there that she met George Simms when he was assigned duties at the Pentagon and talked her into showing him and his buddies around DC. She had known him a month when she took the train down to Asheville NC and married him right before he shipped out to Gander, Newfoundland. They were married for 73 years.
When George returned from Gander, he convinced Jimmie to move to Los Angeles, CA. She thought she would come home on the weekends to visit her family in Ridge. After being in the car driving across the country for six days, she realized her life had changed forever.
First born Steve came along shortly after they moved to California and five years later his little brother Ronnie was born. They lived in Walnut Park, CA for 31 years before making the move over to their beloved Culver City, CA where they remained for the rest of their lives. During this time they took numerous trips: to Ridge, MD frequently, twice to Europe, where they stayed in Germany with brother Bob Pratt, cruised the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, the Panama Canal and of course their beloved Catalina Island 26 miles off the California coast. They were most happy when camping all up and down the West Coast from San Diego to Vancouver British Columbia in their Volkswagen and Toyota campers.
Jimmie had a career working first at Wineman’s Department Store in Huntington Park before joining the State of California Unemployment office in Los Angeles, finally retiring in 1985. She loved her gardening and could often be found in her yard planting and pulling weeds to make her yard one of the most beautiful in Culver City.
Jimmie was a proud member of the VFW Post 1732 representing the women’s auxiliary as President for many years. She made it a point to go visit the VA Hospital in Long Beach, CA every month for years, bringing small necessities and someone to talk to making their lives a little bit better.
Jimmie made many friends over the years some that we didn’t even know about. It may be someone she met at the VFW who fell on hard times or a neighbor she would go visit for years in a nursing home. We learned over the years how much she thought of other people first, by visiting when she could, cutting newspaper articles out, sending them to different people because she thought it would help them and much more.
Jimmie is survived by son Steve, wife Shirley, son Ron, ex-wife Marion Simms, brother Col. Bob Pratt from Deltaville, VA, sisters Mary “Snooky” and brother-in- law James Raley, Salinda Mae Carroll, sister-in-law Audrey Pratt from Ridge, MD and numerous nieces, nephews and many friends. Laurel Polson from Los Angeles, who was always there to help, listen and take Jimmie around for short drives. She loved all dearly. Much to her chagrin there were no grandkids, but she was surrounded by and adopted all the kids in the neighborhood, especially Andy Almado whom she watched grow from a little boy up to a man. She loved him as her own. Jimmie was predeceased by her parents George Willam Pratt & Hattie Elizabeth Naumann Pratt, her siblings: Hattie Anita Dunbar, Alice Adelaide Trossbach, George William Pratt Jr, Steven Mark Pratt, Edwin Louis Pratt, & James Irving (Tinks) Pratt.
Jimmie’s caregivers allowed her to stay in her home. Elaine Respicio Solt, Arlette Moore, and Fe Toledo were wonderful and helped her over many years.
Services will be held graveside on April 27, 2024, at 11:30 am: Trinity Episcopal Church, 47444 Trinity Church Road, Saint Mary’s City, MD 20686.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Ridge Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 520 Ridge, MD 20680 or Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 456, Ridge MD 20680.
Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.