Cleta Kay Simms

Cleta Kay (Roberts) Simms was born on September 2, 1943, in Enid, Oklahoma, the second daughter of Jessie Dale and Bonnie Marie (Koch) Roberts. She passed away on March 3, 2025, at the age of 81 years. Known as Skeet, she was her dad’s shadow growing up.

After graduating from Covington High School in 1961, she went on to attend beauty college in Oklahoma City. She spent over 35 years in that profession. She also worked as a driver for Auto Driveaway and received an award for logging over a million accident-free miles. When she was diagnosed with diabetes and her doctor told her she had a choice between living and dying, she took it to heart and changed her diet and lifestyle. She went on to work with OSU Extension teaching lifestyle choices. She also spoke at the State Capital about the Harold Hamm Oklahoma diabetes center stressing the importance of proper diet. There were no strangers at her house and all were welcome. Her most recent job was home health care for several elderly people. Her loving and caring nature made it a perfect job for her.

Cleta’s greatest joy in life was her family and friends. She is proudly survived by her son and daughter in law, Curtis and Kelley Simms of Sparrows Point, Maryland, her Grandson Todd Lawson and wife Samantha of Oklahoma City, great Grandsons, Layten Navvare, Todd Jr., and Kainen Lawson. She also leaves a sister Sue Klingaman of Mulhall along with many family members around Noble County. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her older sister Elda Jean who passed away 5 days earlier.

She is also survived by a huge group of people who knew her as Aunt Cleta. She opened her home to help others who might be struggling in life. She would share the last bit of food to feed someone else. She will be greatly missed and will live on forever in the hearts of those who dearly loved her. A special thank you to Debbie Beasley for always being there with a helping hand.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Dighton-Marler Funeral Home, Perry. Visitation will be held from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, March 10, 2025 at the Dighton-Marler Funeral Home Chapel in Perry. A Celebration of Life will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at the First Christian Church in Perry, Oklahoma with Rev. Dr. Joshua Bell officiating. Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association in care of Dighton-Marler Funeral Home, P.O. Box 189, Perry, OK 73077. Condolences may be sent to the family via an online guest book at www.dightonmarler.com.