Barbara Mary Nicholson

Barbara Mary Simmons was born on May 16th, 1928 to her parents Constance and James Simmons in Surrey, England. Barbara was the eldest of three siblings that also included her younger sister Valerie and her youngest sibling Michael. Growing-up, she lived in an estate that was called Mandgrove by her family and she got to do such things as eat an almost endless supply of Rainer cherries that were in the backyard of the property.

When Barbara was three years old she started to exhibit her freedom and independence as an eldest child by walking one mile by herself to the local cinema to see such works as Laurel and Hardy films. Later, when World War Two took over Great Britain, her family grew closer to each other by spending a large amount of time in the house’s newly built bomb shelter. During those periods, Barbara and her parents sometimes worried about her brother because he would escape from this area, run outside and pretend to shoot down German bomber planes.

Later, when the attacks from German aircrafts became much more common, Barbara was quickly, ushered to France to be trained by Catholic Nuns in a mansion that was turned into the school. It was here that Barbara had some of her most memorable adventures. She would fondly recall how she was an adamant and volatile Field Hockey player and probably the best member of her team. During one game, she had an initial face-off, where she wound- up smashing her opponent’s teeth with her stick. For dinner at the school, Barbara remembered how much she hated tripe or bread pudding and that she always put these dishes in the plants. However, Barbara loved that the nuns of the school gave her elocution lessons and that because of the she was able to develop proper diction. Barbara loved using this gift as a lector at The Holy Rosary Church on 3617 Milam Street in Houston, Texas.

After boarding school in France, Barbara returned back to England and used a private tutor to become certified as a doctor for cross-eyed children. She did so well in her studies that she gained the top score in all of Great Britain for that year’s exam in the field. At the time she also developed a new romance with Mr. Douglas Malcom Grey Graham III, a very well to do man about town who helped run the family newspaper when he was not racing his Jaguar for fun in professional level races. While Barbara considered marrying Douglas and wanted to travel the world with him, Douglas moved her to a flat in Birmingham, England while he went off with other women. As a result, Barbara quickly left for the United States with $500 in her pocket. She settled on living on Staton Island, New York where she was able to resume her work in helping cross-eyed children.

After deciding that New York area had too much soot and smog at that point of its history, Barbara moved to Palm Springs where she developed another relationship to a well to do man Reggie. Again, Barbara broke-off the relationship before the couple could get married because she decided that he was too short.

And so Barbara moved again to Atlanta, Georgia where she was able to meet and work with the ground-breaking eye doctor Louis Girard. It was this doctor who introduced her to the man who eventually became her husband, Patrick James Nicholson III. The two got married in June 12th of 1960. However, Barbara was unable to conceive until November 13th, 1965 when she had her first and only child Michael Patrick James Nicholson. Barbara deeply loved her only son and secretly wished that she could have been able to have more children. However, she did really enjoy traveling with her husband and son to Europe; including such countries as England, France, Italy and Spain. For an example, she especially loved taking a tour of Catholic Churches throughout Spain.

As a wife, Barbara found that she really enjoyed the role of a housewife. Barbara was a very good cook and she made a lot of her mother’s British recipes on a regular basis. Barbara was an avid tennis player and developed an outstanding –two handed backhand and first serve while playing this sport at Houston Country Club. Barbara also loved to pursue photography and for a while had a profitable business in this field. She loved to take artistic photographs of the insides of flowers.

In addition, after Barbara gave-up her work with crossed –eyed children, she made up for the loss of this career by volunteering in a wide variety of areas. Just for starters, she could frequently be found working as the secretary at St. John’s School on 2401 Claremont Lane in Houston, Texas. She also devoted a large amount of her time to the Covenant House on 1111 Lovett Boulevard in Houston, Texas. She also really enjoyed serving as lector for the Catholic Church on Saturdays.

Barbara was a devout Catholic whom really understood the Vatican 1 approach to her faith. Even when she was in the midst of dementia, she would never forget the Latin words to the mass and she could recite them ahead of everyone else in service. Barbara was really proud and joyful of the way she could do this. Barbara was the kind of loving person whom would find the distressed person in an environment and almost immediately know what to do in order to console them. She had a vey special love of and ability to interact with dogs and cats. These animals really loved her. Barbara was a very special person.

Unfortunately, Barbara did contract dementia late in her life and she was finally sent to live at the Colonial Oaks Memory Care Center on 7800 North Stadium Drive in Houston, Texas. It was here that she gained a severe case of pneumonia and was finally sent to spend her last days on Earth at the Houston Hospice on 1905 Holcombe Boulevard in Houston, Texas.

Michael Patrick James Nicholson, the only son and child of Barbara Mary Simmons greatly wishes to thank Louana Frois, my mother’s best friend, Justin Paschal of Chase Bank, staff members from the Holly Hall retirement home, the nurses and other staff members of the Houston Hospice and others for putting in an unusual and much appreciated effort in helping my mother in her times of considerable need.

In lieu of flowers or some other contribution, please give a donation of your choice to the Alzheimer’s Association. You might also consider participating in the organization’s annual walk. Together, maybe we can bring an end to this horrible condition so that future generations of people including us will not have to deal with it.

Barbara is survived by her younger sister Valerie, her younger brother Michael and me, her only son Michael. But now her life is in the hands of God. While I will greatly miss her forever, I only hope that she may enjoy her time in Heaven for all infinity.

A rosary service will be conducted on Thursday, April 5, 2018 at 10:00 am with the memorial service to follow at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 3601 Milam Street, Houston, Texas 77002.