For the past 6 years, Kellie Simmons has hosted the Par 3 Red Tee Challenge, a one-of-a-kind golf event held at Lake Monterey Golf Course in Dorr. While there are many worthwhile golf outings throughout southwest Michigan (including Centrica Care Navigators’ own Golf ‘Fore’ Hospice), the Red Tee Challenge is the only one that honors Kellie’s husband Chris. Proceeds from the event go to support Centrica Care Navigators.
Chris Simmons was a 2018 patient with Centrica Care Navigators. Years after his death, Kellie has still not forgotten the service he and their family received from our nurses, hospice aides, and his entire care team.
“Centrica was there for his transition to the next stage in life,” Kellie says. “I remember feeling I’m not going through this alone; they were there to teach me.”
A quality time in hospice care
Chris and Kellie met more than 25 years ago as neighbors and married in September 2004. They lived their lives together in the Kalamazoo area, where Chris managed 500 computer servers worldwide for a computer manufacturer, all from his home office. When he wasn’t at work, Chris enjoyed boating and getting behind the grill in the summer.
In 2016, he was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. He went through a series of treatments at Bronson Hospital over the next two years, but in January 2018 doctors recommended that Chris seek hospice care. He was at the point where it was better to focus not on seeking a cure, but on making the remaining time as high-quality as it could be.
Bronson Hospital staff referred Chris to Centrica Care Navigators. Chris stayed at home during his time in hospice, giving Kellie an opportunity to help care for him herself. She also had support from Mary Grace, Chris’ regular nurse, and Mike, who was there for Chris on Mary’s time off.
“Mary Grace knew what medications to order at the right time,” Kellie says. “Sometimes they changed daily, but it didn’t matter. We didn’t have to wait.”
Mary and Kellie worked together to help Chris with basic tasks like taking a shower. But much more importantly, attention from a hospice care team gave Chris and Kellie more time together; Chris lived 21 days from his admission to hospice services.
The team also had the patience and time to explain what was happening to Chris and Kellie’s son Preston, who was 10 years old at the time.
Golf: A perfect fit
The Red Tee Challenge was a natural fit as a charity event to remember Chris, Kellie says. He had been playing in a Sunday morning golf league. Players suggested a golf outing to remember Chris. Kellie took the suggestion and created a fundraiser; the league players were the first to join. She friends and family — and eventually, even people who didn’t know Chris, but who wanted to play golf and contribute.
Preston is still involved in the event; he now runs the putting contest at one hole on the course. Photos of Chris and the family are still posted on the course, so they can see how young Preston was at the time, Kellie says.
Reading around the world
Chris was a popular, outgoing person, who had a lot of friends and family who wanted to stay in touch during his time in hospice care. Responding to all their calls was a little overwhelming for Kellie, who responded by starting a blog of the days and weeks of their time together.
“I was shocked how many people were reading globally,” she says, though because of his job Chris knew people around the world. “People said they got up in the morning and went online to see how we were doing.”
Though Kellie no longer posts new entries on the blog, you can still read it on the Red Tee Challenge website; it is part of the story of Chris’ life.
The website is also where Kellie posts information about the golf event, and encourages everyone to contribute to Centrica Care Navigators in Chris’ honor.
“I wanted to keep honoring him,” Kellie says. “He loved to have a good time.”
Visit the Par 3 Red Tee Challenge website at chrispar3fun.com.
You can learn more about Centrica Care Navigators services and see a video featuring Kellie and Chris’ story on our website.
