NJ Woman, A Beloved Nurse And Grandmother, Dies While Scuba Diving In Florida

Patricia Ann Simmons, a Teaneck grandmother, was known for three things she loved: meatballs, lasagna and scuba diving. Now the New Jersey woman is gone, passing away in a scuba diving incident that's hard for friends and family to fathom.

The beloved nurse died while scuba diving last week, according to police. Patricia Ann Simmons, 65, of Teaneck died Thursday while diving with her husband, Gary, off Key West, according to ABC10 news in Florida.

The couple was out on a charter with Dive Key West to dive on the wreck of the Cayman Salvager on the Atlantic side.

Simmons, who had hundreds of scuba dives to her credit, got into the water and immediately began to descend, according to the report. One of the dive masters aboard the boat went after her and caught up to her at 60 feet.

Simmons acted as if she were panicking and kept trying to remove her mask, according to the report. Once at the surface, Simmons kept trying to spit out her regulator and then became unconscious.

Simmons was a registered nurse for 44 years and retired in 2016. She served the ECCR of Wyckoff for 34 years, according to her obituary.

She loved to travel the islands. She considered herself a die-hard Yankees and Rangers fan, was well-known for her meatballs and lasagna and loved to cook "to feed an army," according to her obituary.

People paid tribute to her on Facebook.

Simmons, formerly of Mamaroneck, New York, was mother of Jason, Brian and Jennifer (Ofelia). She was the loving grandmother of Michael, Zachary, Brianna and Jaryd and dear sister of Katherine, Michael, Joe and John.

Her services are Thursday at Volk Leber Funeral Home in Teaneck Road.

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Photo courtesy of Volk Leber Funeral Home