In Memory

James W Simmons

James William Simmons
 

James William Simmons, 86, of Charlottesville, Virginia passed away on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at Hospice of the Piedmont Acute Care Center in Charlottesville.
Born April 1, 1929 in Charlottesville, he was the only son of John William Simmons and Bessie Mae McDonnell Simmons. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth Ann Johnson Simmons.
Simmons, a native of Charlottesville, graduated from Lane High School in the spring of 1947. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 1951 from Concord College in Athens, West Virginia. In 1959, he earned a Master of Education Degree with a major in Music Education from the University of Virginia. After serving as band director at Meadowbridge High School, Meadowbridge, W.Va., he returned to Charlottesville in July, 1956 to become band director at Albemarle High School, a position he held until 1971. In 1971, Simmons became the Fine Arts Coordinator for the Albemarle County Public Schools and held that position until his retirement in 1984. He also served as Director of Secondary Education from 1971-1973, as choir director at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Unitarian Church from 1953–1966, and as director of bands at the University of Virginia from 1966–1969.

In 1946, as a musician and student at Lane High, Simmons began a 70-year association with the Charlottesville Municipal Band. Over the course of his lifetime involvement with that organization, he played clarinet, and served as its president on three occasions: 1962-1964, 1966-1968 and 1976-1978. In 1959, he was named the band’s assistant conductor under Sharon B. Hoose. Upon Hoose’s retirement in 1980, Simmons became the Municipal Band’s sixth conductor, a position he held for 26 years. During his tenure, he expanded the band’s music library to over 1500 titles and conducted over 400 public performances. Under his direction, the band performed 10 to 15 concerts a year, including performances for several U.S. Presidents, Queen Elizabeth II of England, and other dignitaries. Upon his retirement in 2006, he was named Music Director Emeritus. He made a number of guest conducting appearances with the band in his later years.

After retiring from the band in 2006, Simmons pursued his other lifelong interest–photography. He joined the Charlottesville Camera Club where he enjoyed working with amateur and professional photographers to improve his skills. In addition to participating in club activities, photo shoots, and competitions, he also enjoyed serving as its president in 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2015.

He is survived by his older son James Edward Simmons and his partner, Carmie Rogers, of Falls Church, Va.; his younger son William Gradon Simmons and his wife, Sandra Gail Simmons, of Charlottesville; two grandsons, Jeffrey Wade Simmons and his friend, Virginia Kenney, and Keith Austin Simmons and his fiancée Logan Wilson; and great-grandson, Ashton Hunter Simmons, of Ruckersville.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 29, 2016 at the Charlottesville Church of the Brethren, 1225 Rio Road, with a graveside service immediately following at Riverview Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, March 28, 2016 at Hill and Wood Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the following organizations: The Municipal Band of Charlottesville, Inc, 1119 Fifth Street SW, Suite B, Charlottesville, VA 22902-6480, cvilleband.org, Charlottesville Church of the Brethren, 1225 Rio Road East, Charlottesville, VA 22901, or the Hospice of the Piedmont, 675 Peter Jefferson Parkway, Suite 300, Charlottesville, VA 22911, hopva.org.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.hillandwood.com.

Submitted by Charles Terry and Sue Critzer Hughes



 
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03/25/16 09:02 PM #1    

Charles "Connie" Crenshaw (1958)

It is with sorrow that I post these memories of James Simmons. Mr. Simmons loved music and loved his students. He was a friend of many. There are many Albemarle High School graduates who gained a love of music from Mr. Simmons. Some of his band students went on to play in the Charlottesville Munciple Band and some continue to this day. In 2014 the Albemarle High School Alumni Association inducted James Simmons into the Albemarle High School Alumni Hall of Fame. For more information go to http://www.albemarlealumni.com/James-W.-Simmons.htm on this website. James Simmons was a good man.

Charles "Connie" Crenshaw
AHS Alumni Association

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