SIMONS: John W. Jr. , of 96 Duke St., St. Johnsbury, died
unexpectedly but peacefully at Littleton Regional Hospital,
Thursday, May 10, 2001, at the age of 71. A memorial service will
be held at the South Congregational Church in St. Johnsbury,
Saturday, May 19 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may
be made to the South Congregational Church, Main Street, St.
Johnsbury, VT 05819. John was born July 29, 1929, in Whitefield,
N.H., the son of John W. Simons Sr. and Laura Mae King. He
grew up and attended schools in St. Johnsbury. He graduated
from St. Johnsbury Academy in 1947 and received his bachelor of
arts degree from Harvard University in 1951. He entered the U.S.
Army Intelligence Corps and was stationed in Munich, Germany,
receiving an honorable discharge in 1953. On July 10, 1954, he
was united in marriage with Katherine L. Barber, the daughter of
Clyde L. Barber and Floy L. Webster, in St. Johnsbury. Four
children were born to this marriage; a son, John W. Simons III, a
veterinarian residing in Brownington with his wife, Eileen M.
Wolfe, DVM, and their children, Hester L. W. Simons and Claire L.
W. Simons; a son, David B. Simons, a carpenter residing in
Sutton with his wife Renee E. Cross and their children, Travis B.
Simons, Hannah E. Simons and Melissa M. Simons; a daughter,
Kimberly K. Simons, partner in M & K Lemieux Logging and Mike
Lemieux Trucking of St. Johnsbury with her husband Michael R.L.
Lemieux, and their children, Zebula L. Lemieux and Michelle K.
Lemieux; and a son, William C. Simons, maintenance/electrician
at St. Johnsbury Academy, living in St. Johnsbury. On April 20,
1985, he married Edna Gadapee Blakslee and became
step-father to two children, Brian J. Blakslee, an associate
engineer with Fairbanks Scales, residing in Concord with his wife
Linda Auger and their children, Christina M. Blakslee and Michael
B. Blakslee; and Lori E. Blakslee, a secretary residing in Littleton,
N.H. with her husband Robert Mann and their children, Amber L.
Mann, Melissa R. Mann and Felicia R. Mann. John is also
survived by a beloved sister, Mary L. Simons and her husband
Richard J. Miller, of Wichita, Kan.; a niece, Laurie A. Miller and
her husband Roger Theis and their child Anne E. Van Bebber; a
nephew, Wendell J. Miller and his wife Dana L. Circle and their
child Sarah K. Miller; and a brother-in-law, Glenn A. Barber and
his wife Nancy A. Washburn of Milton, Vt. John began
employment at St. Johnsbury Trucking Co., serving the majority of
his years as vice president of administration, and retiring in 1989
after 36 years of service. Active in several organizations and civic
matters in the 1960s, John was elected to the Board of Village
Trustees from 1963 to 1965, and later to the Board of Selectmen
for the town of St. Johnsbury from 1966 to 1969. He was on the
St. Johnsbury Planning Commission in 1992 but had to resign in
1993 to begin a second stint as selectman, in which he served
until 2000. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club from 1954 to 1975
and served as secretary of that organization from 1956 to 1958.
In addition, he became chairman of the Swimming Pool
Committee in 1960 and served until 1962. He was elected to the
Board of Trustees of St. Johnsbury Academy from 1969 to 1984.
He served on the Executive Committee from September of 1981
until 1984. He was elected chairman of the Investment Committee
in 1971 and retired from that position in 1984. The Academy also
appointed him to the Long Range Planning Commission in 1974,
and reappointed him in 1994 for another period of time. He
became a member of the Masonic Order in 1952 and was a
member of the Eastern Star since March 19, 1954, serving as
patron from 1955 to 1956. John became a director with
Associated Industries of Vermont in 1975 and served until 1982.
He was a member of the Vermont Truck and Bus Association
from 1970 to retirement in 1989, serving as president of the
association form 1977 to 1979. He served on the board of
directors for the St. Johnsbury Chamber of Commerce from 1960
to 1965, and was a trustee for the Fairbanks Museum from 1960
to 1965. John served on the Advisory Board for the Howard Bank
from 1970 to 1973. He also began serving on the board of
trustees for the Passumpsic Bank in 1972. He had the distinct
honor of serving both banks until 1973, at which time regulations
mandated that he resign from one bank or the other, due to a
possible conflict of interest. John chose to remain with
Passumpsic Bank, which he enjoyed until his death. John also
served on state commissions, among them being Special
Education and a commission seeking new methods of financing
state highway equipment. He served two terms as business
manager for the South Congregational Church, from 1962 to 1965
and from 1991 to 1994. He was elected president of the board of
trustees for the Sunset Home for the Aged, serving until recently.
Ill health forced him to curtail many of his activities, but he
remained interested and involved until his death. John enjoyed
the out-of-doors. He and his family spent many enjoyable
summers at their camp on Parker Pond. Except for last year he
was always in camp at the East Branch for hunting season. Often,
spring would find him with a close group of friends, salmon fishing
on the Mirimishi River. When diabetes caused his kidneys to fail,
he went to Whitefield, N.H., for dialysis. To some this would have
been an arduous trip; to John this was a return to the town where
he spent many a happy childhood summer with friends and
relatives at his grandparents' home and store. The
dialysis unit in Whitefield is adjacent to the site of that store. John
was born and died in Whitefield; he lived his whole life in St.
Johnsbury. His contributions to his beloved town and its people
will long be remembered.
|
|
|
