Charlie D. Sims

Charlie D. Sims, 88, of Valdosta, passed away quietly on Saturday, October 19, 2013 of natural causes. He was born in Ficklin, Georgia on March 18, 1925 to the late Emery, Sr. and Corrie Graham Sims and at the age of two years old he moved with his parents to Winter Park, Florida. He joined the Navy after graduating from Winter Park High School and was stationed at Mayport, Florida and served during WWII. He met Juanita Holton in Fernandina. Florida through friends of her sister Frances, and they were married on July 20, 1945 and resided in Fernandina. When he was honorably discharged from the Navy, he and his wife moved back to Winter Park to be near his family. He went to work for the Orlando Sentinel newspaper as a paper route carrier with one of the largest routes; a job he kept for 35 years. He built their first home by himself, and four baby girls were born to them. Mr. Sims and his family attended Killarney Baptist Church in Winter Park, Florida where he became a deacon in 1966. While continuing his paper route he learned other trades; he was a car mechanic, a locksmith, an A/C and pump specialist, and a master electrician in Orange County, Florida. He began investing in real estate and one orange grove. In 1989 he and his wife moved to Valdosta to be near her family and it is here that he built their last home. Both he and his wife were members of Benevolence Baptist Church.

Survivors include three daughters and a son-in-law, Mary Helen and Louis "Buddy" LaPointe, III of Marathon, Florida Betty Jean Alexander of Orlando, Florida, and Brenda Cotton of Midlothian, Virginia; six grandchildren, Shannon Stuno of Midlothian, Virginia, Brian Moseley and his wife Denise of Cocoa, Florida, Robin Prozzoly of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, Christine Souliere and her husband Derek of North Bay, Ontario, Canada, Mary Lynne Lapointe of Atlanta and Ashley Cotton of Richmond, Virginia; six great-grandchildren; his brother and sister-in-law, James E. and Jean Sims of Houston, Texas. He was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Juanita Sims, his infant daughter, Beverly Sims, and two brothers, Carroll W. Sims, Sr. and Emery "Pete" S. Sims, Jr.

Services for Charlie D. Sims will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October, 26, 2013 in the chapel of the Carson McLane Funeral Home with Rev. Earl Justice officiating. The burial will follow in the Benevolence Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Friday evening from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Benevolence Baptist Church. Condolences to the family may be conveyed online at www.mclanecares.com. Carson McLane


Funeral Home:
Carson McLane Funeral Home
2215 North Patterson Street
Valdosta, GA
US 31602