Jean “Sunny”

Browne Simonsen Pflug

Obituary

Jean "Sunny" Browne Simonsen Pflug, 84, of Tifton, Georgia passed away peacefully on October 30, 2026, at Maple Court with her husband and family holding her hands. Her family will receive friends on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Tifton First Methodist, followed by a celebration of her life at 12:00 p.m. with the Rev. Chip Grantham and Trevor Ward officiating. She will be laid to rest at Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be her grandsons and sons in law, Joshua and Jeff Spooneybarger, Blair and Richard Golden, and Stephen, Seth and Sean Denham. Honorary pallbearers will be members of her Sunday School, the Searchers Class.

Sunny was born on February 12, 1942, in Pensacola, Florida, to Carl David and Jean Browne McCall Simonsen. Her father was a Captain in the US Navy, so as a child she was accustomed to moving to a new military assignment every few years. They lived in 15 cities all over the United States and world, including San Francisco, California; Shelton, Washington; Charleston, South Carolina; Houston, Texas; Jacksonville, Florida; Falls Church, Virginia; Iwakuni, Japan; and Naples, Italy.

Sunny graduated from North Springfield High School in Virginia. She began her college education at the University of Denver. Next, she attended Stetson University, where she was a member of the Cypress Gardens water skiing team. Third, she attended the University of Maryland in Iwakuni, Japan. Finally, she graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in English, where she reunited with her high school best friend Desiree Fey, who introduced her to Dale Pflug on a blind date in 1963. Three years later, they were married on April 30, 1966, beginning a love story that lasted more than six decades. They recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, and they truly were the picture of love and dedication, living out "In sickness and in health, til death us do part."

Sunny worked for two years as a stewardess for Delta Airlines; Sears Roebuck in their personnel department; and Bearman, a personnel placement agency, all in Atlanta. She truly intended to settle there, raise a family, and never move again, until C&S Bank asked Dale to relocate to Tifton. With 3-year-old Kelly and newborn Shannon, they made this move in 1973. What a life-changing decision that was! The remainder of her career was spent as a homemaker, dedicating her life and love to her three girls and husband. They joined Tifton First Methodist Church, where she was a 2nd grade Sunday School teacher, Club 55 volunteer, and long-time member of the Searchers Sunday School class. She was a member of the Magnolia Garden Club, served as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, and served as president of the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence.

Sunny loved people! She always had a smile and a kind word. She loved sending cards, playing bridge, playing the accordion, attending sports with grandchildren, music, reading, pets, and eating and traveling with their Friday Night Group.

In addition to her parents, Sunny was preceded in death by their son Jeffrey Michael Pflug in 1968, and her brother Mike Simonsen.

Sunny is survived by her loving husband, Dale Norman Pflug of Tifton; their three daughters and sons-in-law, Kelly and Richard Golden of Tifton, Shannon and Jeff Spooneybarger of Gulf Breeze, FL, and Heather and Sean Denham of Tifton; nine grandchildren, Ashlee, Emily and Blair Golden; Sarah Spooneybarger Dardich, Hannah Spooneybarger Dutoit and Joshua Spooneybarger; and Stephen, Seth and Savannah Denham; and two great-grandchildren, Eleanor and Charl Dutoit. All of her family members, especially the grands and great-grands, brought such joy to her life.

Our family is especially grateful to the staff at Maple Court; her caregivers Pam Drayton and Betty Williams, who became like family; and Whitney Chung with Eternal Faith Hospice. Their kindness, compassion, and loving care made such a difference in Sunny's life and brought great peace of mind to our family.

We will miss her dearly, yet we are thankful that God's Word is true and she is in the arms of her Lord.

Flowers will be accepted or memorial gifts may be made to the Methodist Children's Home, PO Box 2525, Macon, GA 31204, or Tifton First Methodist Church, 107 12th Street W, Tifton, GA, 31794.