Mary Ruth Simms

Mary Ruth Simms, born February 14, 1945, died on September 16th, 2026 at home in Boulder at age 81 from complications of Alzheimer's dementia.

Mary had a quick wit and an easy smile; she loved live music; exploring the world around her both near and far; and most of all connecting with all the people lucky enough to meet her along her life's journey.

Mary was born in St. Anthony, Newfoundland, the 7th of nine children born to her parents Herb Simms and Jane (Way) Simms. Her early childhood was spent clamboring over the rocky shores of Fishing Point with her siblings, playing games while keeping an eye out for whales and icebergs just beyond the bay. Mary was drawn to healthcare at a young age, and volunteered as a candy-striper in the pediatric tuberculosis wards near her home. She later attended nursing school in St. John's, Newfoundland, where her classmates would sneak into Mary's room after curfew to listen to records and smoke cigarettes. Mary graduated nursing school in 1967 and returned to St. Anthony before she and her oldest sister Marg, also a nurse, moved to Los Angeles, CA in 1969 for a travel nursing contract. After that year, Marg returned home vowing never to live outside Newfoundland again; but for Mary, it was the beginning of a lifetime of exploration. In 1975 she spent several months traveling around Europe. She then moved to the mountains of Colorado in the late 1970s, where she taught herself to ski and spent many happy hours cruising the slopes of Colorado's numerous resorts. Mary eventually settled in Boulder, CO, the city she called home for over 50 years.

In Boulder Mary met and married Clarence "Nick" Griffin with whom she had two children, Ruffin and Georgia, and welcomed Nick's son from his previous marriage, Hardy, into her family as well. Nick and Mary divorced in 1984, and though Mary had several suitors, she never remarried. Mary later became primary guardian to her grandson James, and raising him was the principal joy of her golden years. She was also a loving grandmother to Annika and Soren, with whom she lived for the last few years of her life.

After dabbling in other nursing specialties, Mary found her true passion as an operating room nurse at Boulder Community Hospital. In over 40 years of service at BCH Mary assisted innumerable patients on the day of their surgery, scrubbed in on thousands of cases, and built a community of colleagues that truly became her second family. Mary loved her work and her colleagues so much that although she "retired" twice, she kept agreeing to come back "just a few hours per week" before finally leaving the OR for good in 2018.

Mary never lost her wanderlust, and was proud to have explored every US state including Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico, almost every country in Western Europe and Scandinavia, as well as Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, Turkey, Bangladesh, India, China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Ethiopia. Many of her world travels began as volunteer medical missions, where she was incredibly proud to have helped provide life changing medical care to patients in need.

Mary is survived by her children Ruffin and Georgia; her stepson Hardy and his family; her son-in-law Johann Liljengren; her grandchildren James, Annika and Soren; her sisters Marguerite "Marg", Donna and Eleanor; and her many beloved nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life for Mary will be held at Dagabi Cucina on Sunday 10/25 from 1:00-4:00PM. All who knew and loved Mary are welcome to attend.

Memorial gifts may be made through the Boulder Community Health Foundation to help establish an endowment in Mary's name. These gifts will provide lasting support for nursing excellence and the compassionate care nurses provide to patients and families.

To give, visit bch.org/foundation or mail your donation to BCH Foundation, P.O. Box 19320, Boulder, CO 80308. Please designate your gift in memory of Mary Simms.