Myrna L. Sims

October 27, 1936 - April 4, 2022

Myrna L. Sims, 85, of Bethlehem, died April 4, 2022 at her residence in Kirkland Village as a result of systolic heart failure. Born in Montrose, Colorado, in 1936, Myrna was the daughter of the late George and Dorothy Diel. Her childhood was spent in Colorado, Idaho, and Oregon. She graduated from Jefferson High School in Portland, Oregon, in 1954, and then earned B.A. and M.A. degrees at Stanford University. After teaching two years in Sunnyvale, California, she flew to Gabon to marry her geologist husband, Samuel J. Sims, in 1961. They lived in Gabon, Brazil, and Mexico while Sam worked on projects for Bethlehem Steel. Pleased to live in Bethlehem since 1964, Myrna focused on her family and her community. She served as president of Bethlehem AAUW and Children’s Theater of Bethlehem and as chairman of Bethlehem AAUW Book Fair and Boutique at the Rink. Her husband of 51 years died in 2013. Myrna is survived by daughters Janet Patterson, wife of Brad in Morristown, NJ; and Sandra Sims, companion of Ron Fischer in Lakewood, CO; grandchildren Declan and Ada Patterson; and sister Carol Anne Wilkinson of Issaquah, WA. A Celebration of Life gathering will be held on a future date this summer at Kirkland Village.