Lois Patricia Simmons

Lois Patricia Simmons, a Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) honors graduate from the college of DAA, the University of Cincinnati, listed by Business Week magazine many times as the most creative program on our Earth, was in her fifth decade of executive zoo management and remained Director CEO of the NC ZOO in Asheboro, NC. 

She was a three-time NC gubernatorial appointee (Josh Stein, Roy A. Cooper and Pat McCrory) when she died Monday, 14 July, 2025, at her home with her husband, Bruce Simmons (Ph.D., LL.M., J.D., M.Div., CPM), her child, Franklin B. Simmons IV (MBA), and the family pack of AKC dogs at her bed side. She was in the very capable and loving hands of Randolph County Hospice. 

If questioned about the value of federal education support, Patricia praised her selection as a recipient of a Pell grant.

Patricia additionally wanted to acknowledge Roger Sherman, CEO (deceased), Akron Children’s Medical Center, for his decades of support, encouragement and mentoring and to all those in North Carolina and Randolph County who recruited and supported her at the NC Zoo. Dr. David Jones, who for over two decades was Director of the NC Zoo, recruited Patricia to become his successor. The City of Asheboro, in recognition for her community contributions, at the June 2025 city council meeting presented her representatives with their key to our city.

As Director for almost 11 years, she was supported by many NC residents, corporations, foundations, nonprofits, legislators and governors in her raising a couple hundred million dollars in order to double the number of continents and exhibits at the NC Zoo. The first continent, Asia, will officially open June, 2026. Australia opens two years later.

With her team, she raised current annual NC Zoo attendance to over 1 million visitors per either calendar or fiscal year. Should the next five years be like the last five years, a doubling of continents might lead to a doubling of annual attendance. This brings another hundred million dollars into Randolph and surrounding counties. Through a Keynesian multiplier analysis, this equates to bringing $10,050,000 per year and jobs to our larger neighborhood.

NC Zoo is an AZA accredited zoo. It also is BGCI accredited for its botanical gardens. It is a candidate for becoming an accredited arboretum and for becoming an AAM accredited museum. In 2024 and 2025, Time magazine rated the NC Zoo as America's No. 1 zoo.

Patricia served four years as chairwoman and president of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) and was an active member of its the AZA Accreditation Commission. Patricia was executive secretary of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). Among her numerous recognitions and achievements, Patricia was one of 100 hand-selected CEOs worldwide to be a Founding Fellow of the National Arts Strategies Chief Executive Program, a program designed to tackle global challenges for non-profit organizations.

In her family vacations and her professional travels across five continents and 50-plus countries, including the Galapagos Islands, Patricia visited in excess of 250 zoos and aquariums, over 100 museums, and hundreds of Botanical gardens and arboretums. She was hosted by the King and Queen of Sweden. She met a Roman Catholic Pope. She ate lunch with the second Lord of Gilwell, the son of Robert S.S. Baden Powell, founder of Scouting. She was admitted into the Kentucky Derby along with Colonel Harland Sanders. Many world famous athletes, such as, but not limited to, Jack Nicholas, Paul Warfield and Larry Czonka, also supported her zoo-building endeavors.

Patricia was Director and CEO of the nonprofit Akron Zoological Association for 31 1/2 years. Her leadership built it from being closed with four employees and few exhibits to becoming one of the 40 largest zoos in the USA. She was supported by City of Akron Mayors Ray Roy, Thomas C. Sawyer and Donald L. Plusquellic.  Her recruited successor, Doug Piekarz, was recently selected to the Trustees of AZA. Upon her retirement, she was presented the key to the City of Akron. She achieved a Master, Arts Management from the University of Akron.

Patricia grew up on a trout farm in Ohio. As a member of the hereditary Mayflower Society, her ancestors were signatories of the first governing compact in what would become the USA. Several US Presidents (Adams, FDR, Bushes) claim Mayflower descent through her Cushman lineage. Her grandfather created, and her father managed, the Zanesfield Rod and Gun Club. Her aunt was, over many decades, the executive secretary to various P&G CEOs. Her great-grandfather was the artist of the official presidential portrait of Warren Harding.
 
Patricia was predeceased by her beloved brother Byron Gager Cushman and her parents, Warren Scott and Mildred Lois Cushman of Zanesfield, Ohio.
 
Patricia is survived by her sister, Barbara (David) Stout of Newark, Ohio; nieces, Aimee
(Bryan) Bell (grandnieces Katie, Avery and grandnephews Jack, Grady) of Loveland, Ohio, Susan (Brad) Riley (grandnieces Ella, Abby, and Leah) of Newark, Ohio, Jennifer (Jonathan) Rodriguez (grand-niece Kensington, and grand-nephews Kylan, Kamden) of Heath, Ohio, and nephew Tim (Jamie) Stout (grand-niece Magnolia and grand-nephews Maddox, Marek, Mackson) of Granville, Ohio. 

Patricia was survived by her mother-in-law, Ruth P. (Franklin) Simmons of Sarasota County, Florida; and her sister-in-law, Susan E. Simmons of Naples, Florida; her nephew Joseph E. (Lindsay)  Budde Jr. (grand-nephews Parker, Cooper, and Griffin, and grand-niece Elizabeth) of Liberty Township, Ohio; her niece Hannah E. (Dr. Luke Botting) Budde (grandn-ephew Jack and grand-niece Lucy) of Springfield, Virginia, and nephew, Franklin W. (Hannah) Budde of Centennial, Colorado.

Family requests that in lieu of flowers and other remembrances that donations be made to bronze statute NC Zoo Society, 4403 Zoo Pkwy, Asheboro, NC 27205.

Patricia will lay in repose Friday, 18 July, from 1 p.m. until family visitation beginning at 6 p.m. and again Saturday, 19 July, prior to a half hour service that begins at 2 p.m. NC Zoo attire preferred. Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro, NC 27203. 
Burial will be later in Southlawn Cemetery, Coshocton, Ohio 43812.