James (Jim) Henry Simerl, 78, lost an 8 year battle with Parkinson’s disease on February 11, 2026. Jim was born in Wisconsin, the third child of four born to L.E. and Martha Simerl. He lived in Connecticut for most of his childhood, graduating from Greenwich High School in 1966.

Jim went to college at the University of Maine at Orono majoring in Chemical Engineering. There he met his wife, Martha Young, who was majoring in Elementary Education. They graduated in 1970 and married on July 4th.

Settling in Charleston, West Virginia, Jim worked for 35 years at Union Carbide Corporation/Dow Chemical, mostly as a safety and environmental engineer. His work included an 18-month stay with his family in Salvador, Brazil, where he discovered a love of Brazilian culture. He finished his total of 40 years in the chemical industry in Ohio, before he and Martha retired to their “little bit of heaven” in Rogersville, TN in 2010.

Jim was a faithful and loving husband to Martha and a devoted father to his children, Benjamin, William, Kimberly and Samuel. He was a lifelong fisherman and spent many hours teaching his children (and wife!) to enjoy the sport. He loved to be outdoors in the woods and knew the names of most trees. He was a history buff, and especially enjoyed learning about the Civil War and his relatives who fought in the conflict. He loved classical music and collecting coins, stamps and minerals.

Jim is survived by his wife, Martha Simerl; sons Benjamin (Ben) Simerl (Ashley) and William (Will) Simerl (Lynn): daughter Kimberly (kim) Simerl: grandchild Caleb Simerl: and sisters Margie Howell (Larry) and Nancy Simerl (Bruce) and their families.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2026 at 2:00 pm at All Saints Episcopal Church, 601 Main Street, Morristown TN. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim’s memory to the charities below.

Parkinson’s Foundation

PO Box 60003

Albert Lea, MN 56007-9902

www.Parkinson.org

The Nature Conservancy

4245 N Fairfield Dr, Suite 100

Arlington, Virginia 22203

www.nature.org

All Saints Episcopal Church

Memorial Fund

601 West Main Street

Morristown, TN 37814