Gertrude Simmons Neff

Gertrude (Trudy) Simmons Neff was born in Harrisburg, PA on December 31, 1933; the daughter of Dr. Harvey and Blanche Simmons. She had an older sister, Becky. In 1940 they were joined by another sister, Cathy. Trudy died on June 18, 2026 in Largo, MD.

In the Spring of 1936, the Susquehanna River flooded parts of Harrisburg including the area where the Simmons family lived. After the flood receded and the mud was cleaned up the Simmons family decided to move across the river to Camp Hill. She graduated from Camp Hill High School in1951.

During her teen years Trudy went to a summer camp on Lake Champlain. There she excelled in swimming, sailing, archery, and horse-back riding.

Trudy’s mother died in 1950. Soon after, her father was called into the army during the Korean War and Trudy was left at home to care for her younger sister. The next year she entered Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA where she followed a pre-med curriculum, graduating in 1955.

Music was a very important part of Trudy’s life. She said her mother told her she sang before she could talk. She joined the children’s choir at her church when she was 4 years old and from that day on she sang in church choirs, glee clubs, and choruses. She took piano lessons for many years. Later she initiated plans for a bell choir at CCPC and she played in that bell choir for over forty years.

In the summer of 1953 Trudy became a counselor at a church camp at Camp Michaux near Carlisle PA. There she met a fellow counselor, Dick Neff. They did not start dating until December, and after that their relationship developed rapidly. They were married on August 20, 1955 at the Market Square Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg.

While Dick finished two years at Princeton Theological Seminary, Trudy taught school at Pennington (NJ) Elementary School. As they moved on to Nottingham, Middletown, and Bowie, Trudy worked part-time as a substitute teacher.

When Dick and Trudy moved to their first church all of their friends were starting their families and she and Dick were not. Trudy began a quest for children to adopt. This resulted in the adoption of David (1959), Anne (1962), Stephen (1963), and Susan (1966). Trudy did become pregnant in 1973 and John was born that year.

Trudy camped with her family in most of the states in the U.S. In 1980 when Anne entered college, Trudy began to work as a travel agent. She led groups to most of the countries of western Europe and New Zealand. She traveled independently to China, Australia, and South America. Trudy earned her Certified Traveler Counselor degree.

Trudy was a devout Christian who worked tirelessly in the church program. She was a deacon and elder at Christian Community Presbyterian Church and in 2014 she was named Woman of the Year.

Trudy loved to play bridge. She was proud of her work as a judge of elections for nearly 40 years, much of that time as chief judge. For 15 years she served on the board of the Bowie Health Center. Trudy’s favorite animal was the giraffe because, she said, it was everything she was not but wished she were – tall, graceful, and quiet.

Trudy is survived by her husband of 70 years, the Rev. H. Richard (Dick) Neff, her sister Cathy Thorn; her children Anne McCrary, Susan Alderfer (Travis),and John Neff (Marilee); nine grandchildren: Brian Neff (Brittany), Rachel Bechard (Neil), Michael McCrary (Chelsea), Christopher Harder (Nicole), Matthew Harder, Hannah Neff (Caleigh), Derrick Neff, Abby Neff, and Anthony Neff, as well as two great grandchildren Maren and Melody McCrary. Trudy was preceded in death by her sister Becky Davies and two of her sons, David and Stephen Neff.

Memorial contributions may be made to Christian Community Presbyterian Church, 3120 Belair Dr., Bowie, Md 20715. A memorial service will be held at the church on Saturday July 11 at 11:00 and her ashes will be scattered in the church’s Memorial Garden.