William T. Simons (Ted), retired educator and chairman of Sociology at West Georgia College from 1973 to 1998, passed away September 24th from cancer. Ted was born and raised in Miami, Florida into a close-knit family on January 30, 1933 during a bleak year of the Great Depression. Ted remembered his childhood as one of surprising adventures and happy days. He loved to tell hurricane stories and his childhood memories of seeing Coast Guard ships try to rescue torpedoed merchant ship crews off the coast of Miami Beach and the Florida Keys. Ted graduated from Miami Edison High School and won a scholarship to the University of Miami where he studied history before joining the Army during the Korean War. The war ended, and he was sent to the Panama Canal. After his discharge he earned his Bachelor's degree in Social Science at Florida State University. After graduating he returned home and worked at a small newspaper, The Miami Beach Sun, before receiving a graduate internship to pursue his master's degree FSU. That is where he would say he achieved his only claim to fame by winning the hand in marriage to an undergraduate, Georgia, whom has been the steady rock of his existence since 1964. On obtaining his Ph.D., Ted worked at the National Institute of Mental Health in Adelphi, Maryland and taught sociology for six years at the University of Maryland. Ted and Georgia came to Carrollton in 1973, where he taught and served at chair of the combined Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice programs. Ted is survived by his wife, Georgia, son Matthew and daughter-in-law Tammy Simons and two bright and beautiful grandchildren, Aaron and Rebecca. He is also survived by two brothers, Michael Simons of Florida and Nathan Simons of Canada and their children, Shawn, Traci, Cassandra and Rachel and three special nephews and a niece, Kim and Spencer McIntyre and Kate Venables. He was preceded in death by his parents, Willie Mae and Nathan Theodore Simons and his son, Nathan Theodore (Ned). Ted had a lifelong love of reading and remembers the encouragement he received from the librarians at his neighborhood library. While his life was a simple one, it was glittered with memories of love, learning and adventures. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Messages of condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.almonfuneralhome.com. Almon Funeral Home of Carrollton has charge of arrangements.