Educator.
Born at Bath, New Brunswick on 10 December 1902, son of James Randolph Hartley Simms and Ida May Shaw (1875-1915), and sibling of Eldon Franklin Simms and Mary Ethel Simms, he arrived in Manitoba around 1920 and worked as a school teacher in rural Manitoba. He taught at Rus School (1920) and in the Melrose School District at Melrose West School (1923-1924, Principal), as well as Principal St. Vital School (1924-1928) prior to joining the Winnipeg School District, teaching at Earl Grey School (1928-1932) and Gordon Bell High School (1932-1947), where he also served as Assistant Principal (c1936). He initially retired to Penticton, British Columbia in 1947 for a few years before returning to Gordon Bell High School (1950-1953), followed by full retirement back to Trout Creek on the West Coast. While in Winnipeg, he was also President of the Crescentwood Community Club (1944-1946). On 31 December 1923, he married Edith Mildred Gutteridge (1901-1995) in West Kildonan and they had three daughters: Edythe Webster Simms (wife of Mr. Cudney), Arlee Simms (wife of Mr. Swann), and Patricia Simms (wife of Mr. Willey). He died at the West Summerland Hospital in Summerland, British Columbia on 17 August 1959 and was buried at Lakeview Cemetery in Penticton.
Birth and marriage [James R. H. Simms and Ida M. Shaw] registrations, New Brunswick Vital Statistics.
Marriage registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Death registrations, British Columbia Vital Statistics.
1901 & 1911 Canada censuses, Automated Genealogy.
Annual Reports of the Manitoba Department of Education, Manitoba Legislative Library.
“Civics bureau hears Gordon Bell Principal,” Winnipeg Tribune, 1 May 1936, page 20.
“One man's opinion,” by Tony Allan, Winnipeg Tribune, 14 December 1944, page 32.
“Crescentwood Club holds 1st annual meeting,” Winnipeg Free Press, 11 April 1945, page 7.
“Social and personal,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 July 1947, page 7.
“Flood brings improved soil society hears,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 October 1950, page 28.
Obituary Winnipeg Free Press, 19 August 1959, page 4.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 3 October 2021
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