Travis Earl Simonton

In Loving Memory of Travis Earl Simonton (aka “Cornbread”) December 12, 1955 – September 12, 2026 Travis Earl Simonton was born and raised in the Heights in Houston, Texas. He also spent a lot of his childhood at Sunset Lake in Huntsville, Texas. He took great pride in being a fellow “Heights Rat” and built lifelong friendships while growing up there. He often referred to himself and his friends as the “Heights Rat Gang,” and he loved sharing the many colorful stories of their adventures together.

Sunset Lake also held a special place in Travis’s heart. It filled his childhood with fishing, friendships, and countless adventures of its own. Travis loved baseball and football and would often say that, while growing up, wherever there was a ball, he would be there. Travis and Gracie were married on March 7, 1998, and welcomed their beloved son, Forrest, in 2003. Travis was a devoted and loving father who was deeply involved in Forrest’s life.

He coached Little League for several years and loved every moment of it. An outdoorsman at heart, Travis loved hunting, fishing, and spending time in nature. His first job was working for his family’s produce company in Huntsville. He later built a career with Pepperidge Farm, where he worked for a number of years. Eventually, Travis returned to Sunset Lake and began a new career with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, where he earned the nickname “Cornbread” and worked until his retirement.

Travis had a way of drawing people to him. No one was ever a stranger, and his charismatic, magnetic personality allowed him to form countless lifelong friendships. He had a genuine love for people and was perhaps best known for being a phenomenal storyteller. He could bring to life stories about hunting, fishing, growing up in the Heights, ball games, old friends, and the many adventures that shaped his life.

Above all, Travis deeply loved his family and friends. He had a special relationship with God. Although his passing was sudden and unexpected, it was peaceful and filled with tender mercies. For that final gift of grace and comfort, his family could not have asked for more. Left to treasure his memory are his loving wife, Gracie Ovelia Simonton; his son, Forrest Benjamin Simonton; his brother, Forrest Glover Simonton II; his sister, Mickey Lynette MacDonald, and her husband, Robert Thomas MacDonald; his brother, Lance Lloyd MacDonald, and his wife, Evelyn Nell MacDonald; his nephew, Forrest Glover Simonton III, and his wife, Joyce Arline Simonton; his nephew, Brett Joseph Simonton, and his wife, Jill Kristine Simonton; his nephew, Robert MacDonald III, and his wife, Shiela MacDonald, his niece Dr.

Sharon Gross Portwood, and her husband, Dr. Glen Loy Portwood and his great-nephews, Bryce Hahn Forrest Simonton and Finn Henry Simonton, Bryant Portwood and his fiancé, Hannah Lee Slep, and Grant Lowery Portwood. Travis was preceded in death by his parents, Forrest Glover Simonton and Mineola Simonton; his sister, Norma Sue Gross; his brother, Robert Thomas MacDonald II; and his sister-in-law, Kay Maresh Simonton.

Travis—“Cornbread”—will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and forever cherished by the many people whose lives were made brighter simply because he was part of them. A visitation will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 10:00 AM, with a funeral service beginning at 11:00 AM. Memorial condolences to the family may be made at www.shmfh.com. At the family’s request, in lieu of flowers, please contribute to Bible League International or Wounded Warriors Foundation.