Sandra Kay Simmons

Sandra Kay Yarbrough Simmons, lovingly known as Sandi and later to so many simply as “MeMe,” passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of September 27, 2026.

Born February 13, 1947, Sandi grew up in Effingham County, Georgia, and graduated from Effingham County High School, where she was a cheerleader. She later built a successful career in executive recruiting that spanned nearly three decades. Sandi was an award-winning recruiter, manager and mentor who had a gift for connecting people. She trained and encouraged many others throughout her career, leaving an impact that continued long after they worked together.

That ability to connect with people wasn’t just Sandi’s profession. It was who she was. Sandi never met a stranger, and she was certainly never shy. She genuinely loved people. When she met someone new, she would ask questions until she inevitably discovered someone or something they had in common. She loved to talk, tease, tell stories and laugh, and she had a way of making connections everywhere she went.

Sandi loved life and always made sure to shine. She loved dancing, singing karaoke, Elvis Presley, Chinese food, birds, especially hummingbirds, and anything that sparkled. She loved her red lipstick, mink coats, White Diamonds perfume, freshly painted nails and toes, and later in life, her beloved rhinestone butterfly clips that she wore in her hair without a care in the world. Sandi didn’t just have sparkle. She was the sparkle.

Her faith was an important part of her life. She loved God, sang in the church choir and played handbells, and made sure her family grew up with church as a regular part of their lives.

But more than anything, Sandi loved her family. Her two daughters, Stacie and Amy, were her world. When her grandchildren came along, they quickly became the center of her attention and brought her endless joy and laughter. She loved their funny moments so much that she once wanted to write a book about them.

It was through her grandchildren that Sandi became “MeMe,” and the name simply stuck. Before long, she wasn’t only MeMe to her own grandchildren. People of all ages knew and loved MeMe, sharing countless laughs, conversations and stories with her. When her great-grandchildren arrived, her heart grew once again.

Sandi also had a special love for hummingbirds. After the passing of her husband, Joe, she lived with her daughter Stacie for five years and insisted on having a hummingbird feeder outside her bedroom window so she could watch her little visitors. Today, hummingbirds have become an especially meaningful symbol for her family.

Sandi and Joe shared a love that remained part of her heart throughout her life. Joe’s song to her was “Lady.” Those who knew and loved them find comfort in imagining them together again, perhaps fishing, perhaps dancing, with Joe finally holding his Lady in his arms once more.

Sandi was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Joseph Riley Simmons; her parents, Ernie and Lola Mae Yarbrough; and her sister, LaTrelle Pevey.

She is survived by her brother, Richard “Dicky” Yarbrough (Carol); her daughters, Amy LaTrelle Capwell and Stacie Jo Taylor Pickard (Randall Kelly Pickard); her stepdaughter, Adrienne Simmons; her grandchildren, Amber Buchanan, Dylan Anderson, Kaylee Pound and Rilee Taylor; and her great-grandchildren, Averie Buchanan and Brynnlee Kay Renfro, along with extended family, lifelong friends, former colleagues and countless others whose lives were brighter because they knew her.

Sandi spent her life loving people, making them laugh and finding reasons to sparkle. Her family will make sure that sparkle never fades.

Service arrangements are being made through Carlson & Riggs Funeral Home. Details will be announced as soon as they are finalized. Services are anticipated to be held within the next one to two weeks to allow family members time to travel and gather together to celebrate Sandi’s life.