Thomas Haydn Simmons, Jr.
Join us in celebrating Thomas—please share your stories and photos, and help spread the word about this page!
Thomas H. "Tom" Simmons, 90, of Boca Raton, Florida, passed away on April 29, 2021 after a short illness. Tom enjoyed traveling, sailing, playing tennis and golf, listening to classical music, and reading historical novels.
Tom was born in Evanston, Illinois on October 29, 1930, and spent his childhood years on the Chicago northwest side and in Wilmette, Illinois.
He graduated from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, and received his degree in Electrical Engineering from Northwestern University in 1953.
Tom worked in the design and test of radar missile-tracking systems for the Air Force, Navy and NASA, including the Titan ICBM (used also in the NASA Gemini program), and the spacecraft checkout system for the Apollo moon-landing program. His later career was in computer programming for large electric power generating turbines, and in the design of industrial electronic circuitry for controlled-access systems.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Haydn (SR) and Helen Louise (nee Ziegler), by his brother Philip Allen, and by his late wife, Rose Marie (nee Downey), the mother of his two daughters.
His survivors include his dear wife Gail, his loving daughters Cynthia Jean Degen (William J.) of Carmel, Indiana, Kathleen Victoria Simmons of Carmel, and several cousins.
Visitation will be held for family and friends on Wednesday, May 5th between 12:00 noon and 2:30 pm at Stackus Funeral Home, 417 Elm Street, in Boyne City. A private interment ceremony will take place at Greenwood Cemetery in Petoskey following visitation.