Gail Denise

Simmons

Gail Denise (Tyler) Simmons, 72, longtime resident of  Nolan and Sweetwater, passed away Wednesday, February 4, 2026  at her residence in Granbury, Texas. Funeral services will be at 2:30 P.M. Sunday, February 8, 2026 at McCoy Chapel of Memories with Rev. Richard Petree officiating. Interment will follow at Slaters Chapel Cemetery at Nolan, Texas. There will be a family visitation from 5 P.M. to  7 P.M. Saturday, February 7, 2026 at McCoy Funeral Home. Gail was born October 6, 1953 to Grady and Delene (Blair) Tyler in Memphis, TX. She is survived by her husband Stanley Simmons of Granbury, TX, a daughter, Amanda Chance and husband Alan , a brother Larry Tyler of Weatherford, TX.

Gail graduated from Quitaque High School in May 1972.  She was a proud member of the Pantherette basketball team all 4 years of high school and basketball was her first love.  Her team won district her senior year and she won several awards and was invited to play in Panhandle All-Star game in Amarillo that summer. Gail was the reigning 1970 Miss Quitaque. She remained the reigning queen because it was the final year of the competition.

Gail married Stanley Simmons on December 28, 1972 at the First United Methodist Church of Quitaque. The couple moved to Sweetwater in 1973 and moved to Nolan in 1983 where they lived until moving to Granbury, Texas in 2012 to be close to their daughter and family.

Gail worked all her life, starting her career under Betty Bryant in the Nolan County Tax Office shortly after moving to Sweetwater and worked there several years before stopping to start a family.  She returned to work with the State of Texas at the Department of Human Services and later the Texas Employment Commission.  She moved to the Abilene Council of Governments working on a team to teach employment skills classes to young mothers. Later in her career, she worked as Program Director for Butman United Methodist Youth Camp in Merkel which was her happiest job working with the youth.  She moved back to the Nolan County Courthouse as office manager for the Adult Probation Office and retired in 2012.

Gail was a loving wife and mother, raising her husband for 53 years along with two children, Amanda Chance and Slater Simmons.

Gail was preceded in death by her son, Slater Lee Simmons in 2006. Her father, Grady Lee Tyler and mother, Delene Blair Tyler; her paternal grandparents, Watt Tyler and "Granny" Tyler; her maternal grandparents, Harry Blair and her "Granmommy", Ermine Blair.

She is survived by her devoted husband, her daughter, Amanda Chance, son-in-law, Alan Chance; grandson, Carter Chance and granddaughter, Kinslei Chance; Daughter-in-law, Brooke Wacker, grandsons Graycen and Clayton Wacker, her Brother Larry Tyler, sister-in-law, Gayla Beth Simmons, sister and brother-in law, Sue and Bob Rowlett, along with many cousins all of whom she loved very much.

Pallbearers: Carter Chance, Grayson Wacker, JoeBob Ussery, Jeremy Gunn, Josh Yarbrough and Kyle Taylor.

In lieu of flowers please make donations to Butman Methodist Camp or the Alzheimer's Association.