Richard Simmons' Brother Shares Heartfelt Eulogy About Fitness Guru During His Celebration of Life: Read It in Full

Richard Simmons’ brother is speaking out about his life and legacy, nearly three months after his death.

During the celebration of the life of the late fitness guru in the cathedral of St. Louis in New Orleans on Saturday, October 5, his brother Lenny Simmons spoke about Richard’s life and background – as well as how his faith drove him to find his true calling in life.

Calling the eulogy “God’s Plan for Richard Simmons: A Tribute,” Lenny talked about how his brother was always looking for ways to make his mark on the world and help others.

Richard died on July 13, a day after his 76th birthday. A small funeral was held for him on July 19, and he was buried at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary in Los Angeles.

Two days before his death, Richard gave what would be his final interview with PEOPLE, during which he was asked what it meant to be called a “legend.” He replied: “I don’t hear it at all. I don’t hear the word legend. I don’t hear the word icon. I’ve never lived a celebrity life. I’ve never thought of myself as a celebrity.

Read Lenny’s tribute to his late brother in full here:

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Lenny Simmons at Richard Simmons’ funeral.

courtesy of Lenny Simmons

Richard Simmons’ brother reveals the fitness guru was buried in his workout clothes under his clothes during a celebration of life speech

If you are a person of faith, you believe that God has a plan for all of us. Sometimes it takes a while for his plans to come true. So how long did it take my brother, Richard Simmons, to find out what God had planned for him? I’ll tell you a little story.

Richard was born Milton Teagle Simmons on Thursday, July 12, 1948 at Touro Infirmary Hospital at 11:17 AM. He was named after Uncle Milton, whose nickname was Dick, so my parents called him Dicky.

Our father was Leonard Douglas Simmons, a renaissance man who started in show business in vaudeville when he was a teenager. After being discharged from the army at the end of World War I, he went to New York and sang in the chorus of many Broadway shows. He then went to Hollywood to become a film actor in 1927, appearing in some of the last silent and first talking films.

He later returned to New York and became a nightclub emcee. There he met our mother Shirley Satin in 1937 and they soon became a couple.

A picture from the celebration of life.

courtesy of Lenny Simmons

Shirley was born Sadie Wachtinsky, the third daughter of Jewish immigrants from the small village of Korsun, now located in Ukraine.

Shirley loved modeling and dancing, so she moved from Philadelphia to New York to get a job there. Since this was during the Great Depression, Shirley took any job she could get, so [she] became a burlesque and nightclub dancer.

In 1939, our parents came to New Orleans for my father’s two-week job at a nightclub in the French Quarter. They fell in love with the city, its people and its food. So they decided to make New Orleans their home.

After my father was discharged from the Army Corps at the end of World War II, Leonard and Shirley decided to start a family. I came in 1946 and Richard followed twenty months later in 1948.

Dicky and I had a happy childhood growing up in the French Quarter. We attended the parish school of St. Louis Cathedral and went to mass every Sunday in this beautiful church. We both graduated from Cor Jesu High School (which is now Brother Martin’s High School).

In 1966, Dicky decided he had a calling to become a Catholic priest. He said he wanted to help people. But before he went to the seminary, he changed his mind. God has other plans for him. He graduated from Florida State University in 1970 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He even spent a semester in Florence, Italy, studying art and design.

After graduation, degree in hand, Dicky went to New York to find his dream job in the Big Apple in commercial art, but due to the recession that year, there were no openings. He returned home to New Orleans depressed, and his mother found him a job at Maison Blanche on Canal St. where he sells men’s shirts and ties during the Christmas season.

After the holidays, Shirley helped him land a position as a sales representative for Coty’s Cosmetics, the same company where Mom was employed as a cosmetics consultant at Maison Blanche. Dicky decided he needed a more professional name, so he started calling himself Richard Simmons

He traveled the country from one mall to another for the company. He was transferred to Los Angeles in 1973. He called my parents to tell them he was quitting his job because he was tired of traveling and wanted to stay in Los Angeles. He had no idea that within two years he would be traveling almost three hundred days a year.

We all wondered what he would do next with his life. But God had other plans for him. He eventually got a job as a waiter and maître d’ at the Italian restaurant Derricks Second Floor. His infectious personality and humor brought more guests to the small restaurant. Everyone loved Richard Simmons.

Soon celebrities and producers were coming to the restaurant just to see Richard. A producer offered him a job playing himself as a fitness expert on the daytime soap General Hospital. His popularity skyrocketed.

So, at the age of 26, Richard Simmons finally knew what God wanted him to do. He wanted Richard to help people, motivate them, encourage people to get healthy and lose weight, get fit and have fun doing it.

Crowds gather to pay tribute to Simmons – all wearing outfits inspired by his iconic ’80s workout cut.

courtesy of Lenny Simmons

Sadly, we lost Richard the day after his 76th birthday on July 13, 2024. I lost my only brother, but you all lost a friend, teacher and motivator.

When my wife Cathy and I were returning home to New Orleans from Los Angeles after attending his funeral with only eight people at the service, we promised my brother that we would have a celebration of his life in his hometown.

We are all very grateful and humbled by the outpouring of love and support you are giving my brother.

I want to let you all in on a little secret: Richard wears his tank top and shorts under his clothes just in case God’s ultimate plan for him is to whip all the angels and saints in heaven into shape. Richard Simmons will forever be “Sweating with the Saints”.

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Source: HIS Education