Sept. 5, 1930 – Oct. 18, 2016

NATCHEZ — Services for Don Maxwell “Max” Simonton Sr., 86, who died Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, will be 2 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Church with Dr. Doug Broome officiating.   
Burial will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.
Visitation will be from 1 p.m. until service time Friday at the church.
Max, a native of Natchez, was the sixth child of James “Jack” Brady and Virginia Maude White Simonton.
He was a 1948 graduate of Natchez High School and served as class president of his junior and senior classes and played starter on the basketball team which won the Big Eight Championship in 1948.
In 1955, he received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Naval Reserve.  Max worked as a millwright and master machinist most of his life, retiring from the position of foreman with Amoco Additives in Natchez.  He contributed his experience and expertise to the success of his son James’ machinery business, Stonewall Machinery of Florence.
An avid outdoorsman, Max enjoyed hunting, fishing, and golf, winning a number of trophies in the latter including the 1971 Ferguson Mill Championship.  After retiring, he was active in First Baptist Church as a Sunday school teacher and training union.  He, along with his wife Jean, chaired the 55th reunion of the class of 1948.
Max was preceded in death by his eldest son, James; daughter, Kaye; and five siblings, Gerald, Robert, William “Billy” Simonton, Dolores Simonton Mallory and Betty Sue Simonton Newman.
Survivors include his wife, Jean; two sons, Don Maxwell Simonton Jr. of Rose Hill and Joseph “Joe” Simonton of Orlando, Fla.; one daughter-in-law, Martha Simonton of Florence; one son-in-law, Ricky Thomas of Natchez; five grandchildren, Matthew, Mark, and Taylor Simonton of Florence, and Shelley Rogers and Chad Thomas of Natchez; and four great- grandchildren.
Memorials may be sent to the Senior Adults of First Baptist Church.
Online condolences may be sent to lairdfh.com.