Grant G. Simmons, Jr., former CEO of Simmons Mattress
Rob Cibik
March 26, 2008
The Island Packet (Hilton Head, SC)
Grant G. Simmons, Jr. Simmons, Grant G. Jr., 88, of TidePointe, Hilton
Head, SC, and Upper Saranac Lake, NY, died Sunday, March 16, 2008, at
his home.Mr. Simmons was born January 3, 1920, in Colorado Springs,
CO.He graduated from Greenwich Country Day School, Deerfield Academy,
and Yale University (1942).He served in World War II as a reserve
officer in the Navy Fleet Air Wing Five in Argentina, Newfoundland,
and Fleet Air Wing Sixteen in Recife, Brazil, achieving the Rank of
Lieutenant with Merit Order Medal.He joined Simmons Company in 1946,
and in 1957, he became Chief Executive Officer (1957-1978), a post he
held for 21 years of growth in both total revenue and profits. He was
the 4th generation of the Simmons family to lead the Company. During
these years, Simmons Company made fourteen corporate acquisitions, all
friendly. These became wholly owned subsidiaries and included Thonet
Industries, Selig Manufacturing, Greeff Fabrics, Bloomcraft,
Katzenbach and Warren, and three casket companies. During Simmons'
stewardship, Simmons Company established manufacturing businesses in
Canada, England, France, Italy, Australia, Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto
Rico, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, and Morocco.For seventeen years
(1962-1979), Simmons was a Director of the IBM World Trade Corporation
and later the IBM Europe/Middle East/Africa Corporation. (1960-1984).
Simmons was a Director of ACF Industries, Inc. from 1960-1984, and a
Director of both the First National Holding Corporation and The First
National Bank of Atlanta from 1974-1979.Active in Scouting, Simmons
served as President of The Greater New York Council, largest in the
U.S.A., from 1960-1963 and had the honor of presenting the Boy Scouts'
highest commendation to John Glenn on the occasion of the New York
City celebration of his successful first USA orbit of the earth.
Simmons was awarded both the Boy Scouts' Silver Beaver and Silver
Antelope awards.A Whiffenpoof at Yale, Simmons pursued a lifelong
attachment to music.He was a Director of the Metropolitan Opera
Association from 1962-1975 and its Vice-President from 1969-1974, and
a Director of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts from 1968-1976.
Simmons was a Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra from
1974-1980, a Director of the Atlanta Arts Alliance from 1975-1981 and
a Director of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta from1975-1981.An
ardent bird watcher all his life, Simmons became a life member of the
American Ornithologists Union in 1948 and the same year, a life member
of the National Audubon Society, which he served as a Director from
1968-1974.Simmons was a member of the New York Chapter of The Society
of Mayflower Descendants and The Denison Society and was, for many
years, a member of The Brook Club.Simmons is survived by his
daughters, Allison Prouty and Leslie Lee, his son, Grant G. Simmons
III, three grandchildren and one stepgrandchild, and by a stepson,
Henry Darlington III, two stepdaughters, Elizabeth "Beth" Darlington
and Victoria Darlington Yoder, and four additional stepgrandchildren.A
memorial service will be at All Saints Episcopal Church, Hilton Head,
South Carolina on April 12th at 11:30 a.m.In his memory, in lieu of
flowers, donations may be made to Cape May Bird Observatory, 600 Route
47 North, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210.The Island Funeral Home and
Crematory is in charge of arrangements.
http://www.islandpacket.com/news/obituaries/story/262964.html
Bob Feigel
<lcp...@hotmail.com> magnanimously proffered:
>Grant G. Simmons, Jr.
Rest in peace.
--
"It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen
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