Obituary: Sims, Lydia
SIMS, Lydia
Lydia Teresa Sims was born in Penns Grove, New Jersey on November 18, 1920.
Her father was Clifton Williams and her mother was Helen E. Hoskins.
Her family moved to Summit, New Jersey where she and her five sisters spent most of their childhood.
She graduated from Summit High School.
Her good friend Mary Etta Sims introduced her brother James McCormick Sims, who was attending Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, to Lydia.
They married after his college graduation.
During World War II, James enlisted in the Army Air Force and was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington.
Lydia, with their first son James Sims, Jr., soon followed.
When her husband left the Army Air Force in 1947, they decided to stay in Spokane.
She gave birth to twins, Ronald and Donald, in 1948.
Lydia dedicated her life to her husband, family, and community.
Her husband became an ordained minister serving as Assistant Pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church for ten years and as Pastor of New Hope Baptist Church for more than 25 years.
She supported every aspect of her husband’s ministerial duties while raising her three sons and working in secretarial positions.
Both became active civic leaders alternating as President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Spokane chapter.
Together they led peaceful demonstrations in Spokane creating employment and housing opportunities for minorities.
After her three sons obtained their college degrees, she took her turn at higher education and enrolled at classes at Eastern Washington University.
Through the college, she was involved in a program to desegregate schools in small farming towns of eastern Washington.
She was active with the Human Rights Coalition, the Human Relations Council, and the League of Women Voters.
She was a member of the Washington State Advisory Committee of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission.
She was appointed director of the Spokane City Affirmative Action Department where she fought for more than two decades to secure employment opportunities for women and ethnic minorities.
She is the recipient of numerous recognitions and awards.
After living a full and rich life, Lydia Teresa Sims passed away on June 23, 2012.
She will be missed by her son Ron Sims and his wife Cayan Topacio, daughter-in-law Carol Sims, grandchildren Adrianne, Samuel, Donald and his wife Kristin Cox-Sims, Douglas and Lyra Carrasquel, Daniel, and Aaron; great-grandchildren Olivia Turner Sims and Amina Carrasquel-Sims; sister Sevilla Johnson of Citrus Heights, California, and a host of nieces and nephews.
Lydia was predeceased by her four sisters, husband James M. Sims, Sr., her sons James M. Sims, Jr. of Seattle and Donald C. Sims of Oakland, California.
A private service and interment will be held at Evergreen Washelli in Seattle.
Officiating will be the Reverend Percy Happy Watkins of New Hope Baptist Church, Spokane.