Donald Dewayne ‘DJ’ Simms

Donald Dewayne “DJ” Simms was a child of Gaylesville, Alabama, remembered by neighbors and classmates for his love of sports and the everyday bustle of small‑town school life. At eleven years old he attended Gaylesville Elementary; those who knew him described a boy who enjoyed playing and being active with friends, the kind of child for whom recess and team games were important parts of the day.

Though public details about DJ’s life are limited in formal notices, reliable records confirm the date his life ended: February 15, 2015. The community response — the shock and grief that followed — reflected how closely woven small towns like Gaylesville are, where a single loss is felt widely by classmates, teachers, neighbors and extended family. His family’s efforts afterward, including civil legal action reported in local coverage, show how many practical and painful steps can follow a sudden loss.

This page aims to honor DJ’s personhood rather than the circumstances that ended his life. Even when public information is sparse, it matters to say that he was a real child who loved sports and school and who belonged to a family and community. Remembering him means holding those simple truths: that he laughed and played, attended local school, and left behind people who cared for him deeply.

If you knew DJ or the Simms family and wish to share a memory, photograph, or a note of condolence for a memorial record, those recollections help round out the story of a young life lived in Gaylesville. In honoring him, the community keeps the focus where it belongs — on the person and the small, meaningful moments that made him who he was.