Alonzo "Lonnie" Sims

Alonzo Griffin (Lonnie) Sims, devoted husband, Dad, PaPa, and Great PaPa, passed away on Thursday, May 7, 2020, at the age of 93 after a brief residency at the Courtyards Assisted Living and Memory Care Facility in Odessa.

Due to the Coronavirus issues, the funeral services will be attended by the family only, at Sunset Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home at 10:00 AM, Monday, May 11, 2020. Pastor Todd Salzwedel of First United Methodist Church in Odessa will be officiating. Burial will follow the service at Sunset Memorial Gardens.

Lonnie Sims was born October 14, 1926 in Mobile, Alabama. He graduated from high school in Mobile and quickly moved to Texas to attend college at Texas College of Mines (now UTEP) in El Paso, graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree. Lonnie met the love of his life, Jonell Nelson in El Paso. They were married on June 10, 1950 and enjoyed almost 70 years of a wonderful marriage. Lonnie dutifully served his country and was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. After the war, Lonnie and Jonell lived briefly in San Antonio, before moving to Odessa in 1955. It was during one of the early boom times in the oilfields of West Texas, that Lonnie took full opportunity of the growing population and the need for adequate housing. Lonnie soon opened a real estate brokerage company, Sims Co., Realtors later known as Century 21 A.G. Sims & Associates. Lonnie was broker/owner of the company until his retirement in 1985. In addition, Lonnie was a founding director of First Savings and Loan Association in Odessa, serving on the Board of Director’s for 25 years.

Lonnie was a life-long member of First United Methodist Church, and faithfully served on many boards and committees at the church. He was a dedicated member of the Builder’s Class at the church.

Lonnie was a respected member of the Odessa Board of Realtors for 65 years and was elected president of that organization in 1967. Lonnie was a life-long conservative Republican and worked diligently for Republican candidates over the years on the local, state and national levels.

Lonnie truly enjoyed competition of any kind, but especially loved Texas Tech baseball, Texas Rangers baseball, Houston Astros baseball, Mojo football, Texas Tech and UT football, and of course, Dallas Cowboys football. He enjoyed playing card games and playing racquetball, softball, volleyball, tennis, golf and bird hunting and fishing, and certainly family trips to the lake house at LBJ. Dad’s great joy was teaching the game of baseball, a game that he loved and excelled at, to his sons, his grandsons and boys in the neighborhood.

Lonnie is survived by his loving wife, Jonell; his three sons and their wives, Gary and Nancy Sims, Curtis and Janet Sims, Scott and Glenda Sims; his seven grandchildren and their spouses, Bryan and Kim Sims, Brandon and Lacey Sims, Brent and Kat Sims, Mark and Rebecca Brittain, Matthew and Katie Sims, Christopher Sims and Benjamin Sims; fourteen great grandchildren, Yana, Sydney, Sawyer, Samantha, Eli, Zoey, Raylan, Brynnley, Blakely, Madison, Abbie, Baylor, Chandler and Kain.

Pallbearers will be Bryan Sims, Brandon Sims, Brent Sims, Matt Sims, Christopher Sims, and Mark Brittain.

Memorial may be given to First United Methodist Church of Odessa, Meals on Wheels, Home Hospice of Odessa or a charity of your choice.

The family of Lonnie Sims wish to extend our sincere thanks to the Courtyards Assisted Living and Memory Care, nurse Shwana Gillis and her TEAM, Home Hospice of Odessa, his Republican Party friends and his Sunday School class and special friends at First United Methodist Church.