Fern Rose Simmons (Crowe; nee Hodgson) was born in Calgary, Alberta, on July 16, 1959, the second child to Bill and Christine Wilna “Willy” Hodgson. Dad named her Fern after the fern on the moors near Thirsk, North Yorkshire: where he was born and raised. She loved that.
Fern died on October 19, 2020, in Erwin, Tennessee, from a brain aneurysm: she was 61 years old. She’d survived one many years earlier but this recent aneurysm came on suddenly during the night and proved fatal. She sunk into a deep coma and did not emerge. Her brave and loving husband, Mike Simmons, was by her side every minute, holding her and comforting her to the very end. Our broken hearts and love are with Mike who’s so very far away — especially hard during this pandemic making travel and gatherings dangerous.
Fern was predeceased by our mother in 2003, and is survived by our father, Bill Sr.; me — her sister Heather (Béla); our brother Bill (Eva); and our brother Dean (wife Shirlea-Ann; son Joseph; daughter Jaimee). She is also survived by her first husband and friend, Dean Crowe, and their beloved daughter, Adelle.
Fern was born into an air force family, so grew up in cities and airbases across Canada: Calgary; Bagotville, Chicoutimi and Arvida — all in Quebec; and at the Bushell Park airbase where dad was transferred to in 1966. In 1970, we moved to Moose Jaw, just north of Bushell Park, into our “dream house” on Clifton Avenue where mom and dad would retire — what happy memories that house holds, still.
Fern was a born tomboy — as a kid she loved bugs and snakes and frogs and puddles; she loved the outdoors and playing outside. She was good at sports and track and field. She also loved animals and doted on the Hodgson family budgies, turtles, gerbils, cats and dogs. Her beloved black and white dog Sparky was almost like her own kid. Shy as a girl she slowly but surely came into her own as an adult when suddenly there was no bossing her around or winning an argument about politics or anything else with her — she had things thought out and was ready to discuss just about anything. She could be a force in any debate, that’s for sure.
In 1980 Fern married Dean Crowe and they had many good years together, including a trip to England with our parents where they both met dad’s Yorkshire side of the family. In 1982 they brought their only child Adelle into the world, and though the many happy years together ended, sadly, in divorce, Fern and Dean remained good friends.
During a visit to Forest City, North Carolina in 2006, Fern was introduced to Mike Simmons. That was March 24th and what began as a friendship, soon grew into more. Fern decided it was a love worth pursuing and plotted the arduous four-day road trip to the southern states to be with Mike who she would eventually marry. My brothers and I tracked every inch of that trip via our computers and cellphones so worried were we, but she arrived safe and sound and had her daughter Adelle along with her for company. What a relief for us when they arrived. And of course, once settled, she needed to return to Canada to obtain a green card. This time Mike made the long trip with her to Montreal which is where she had to go to get the paperwork in order. He also bravely accompanied Fern to Moose Jaw to meet the Hodgson family — just imagine being the guy who had lured daughter #2 so far away from the Hodgson nest! But their happiness was evident to all of us and Mike fit in easily. Within minutes, dad was imitating his southern drawl and calling him a hillbilly — and Mike loved it. And as far away as they’ve been in Tennessee all these years, we stayed in touch via telephone and social media so were able to watch Fern’s happy “second-life” unfold in that enviable climate — she did not miss our winters!
Fern had been a shy child but she came into her own to reveal an innate ability for taking charge of and taking good care of others — notably in her work with the intellectually-handicapped — and following in our late mother’s career path. After high school at Vanier, she worked at Valley View Centre as a nurse’s aide and years later operated a group home with her husband Dean. She was active on Moose Jaw community boards that oversee care of the intellectually-handicapped: Citizens All was a favourite.
Fern was very creative and had many gifts and talents. She excelled at beadwork and embroidery. Her late mother-in-law, Adele Crowe, after whom she and Dean named their daughter, taught Fern to crochet and Fern soon excelled at that too. She was a superb cook and baker and homemaker — she could have easily run her own home-based pastry shop! Their home too was always immaculate — everything Fern turned her attention to was done in meticulous fashion.
Fern had many friends and colleagues but our mother was truly her very best friend and confident in the world. In mom’s last months, Fern was at her bedside every morning when mom woke up: a loving and caring daughter who felt the same strong love for our dad and who she liked to call “pops”! Fern and dad would meet for coffee just about every day. And on weekends when Béla and I drove in, she always chipped in with weekend dinners as all of us tried to fill the void that mom left in our family life. Fern played a big part in keeping as much of that family tradition of sharing weekend and holiday meals together.
During these last 14 happy years in Tennessee, Mike’s faith in God renewed and strengthened Fern’s. Though bittersweet, we know that her last journey contains the silver lining of delivering her into the arms of our beloved and much-missed mother. All we can helplessly do now, is be thankful for all she was to us, keep her fast in our hearts, pray for her safe journey, and be grateful she is not in pain. After a full and happy life cut too short, she is with mom and she is resting in peace with God.
Until we see you again beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, colleague, friend and neighbour — we will hold you close in our hearts and bring you back often in our precious memories of you.
All our love, your dad, Bill Sr. (“Pops”), Heather (“Sis”), brothers Billy & Dean Hodgson
