Horace R Simms

Horace Ridgly Simms ll, a 95-year-old veteran of WWII passed away Friday, December 30th ,2016. Horace was born in Racine, Wisconsin on June 15, 1921 to Horace and Grace Simms. He joined the US Army Air Corps on December 12, 1941. In November of 1944, 2nd Lt. Simms' s plane "" The Easy Way "" was shot down during a bombing mission over Germany. He was wounded and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war in Stalig Luft 1, in Northern Germany.

He married Katherine Lemen on February 11, 1951, and together they had one daughter. He and his wife taught at Albuquerque High School until 1960 when he returned to school, earning his Masters degree at the University of New Mexico, and his Ph.D from the University of Colorado, specializing in Mycology. He became a Professor of Biology at Eastern Washington University and notably, started the Red Barn Project where he encouraged his students to return to organic farming, and reinforced sound environmental practices for the preservation of our mother earth.

After retirement, Horace became an antique dealer, taking great joy in traveling throughout the Southwest, collecting antiques. It was in retirement that he wrote about his POW experience, a book he titled “Indelibly Etched.” He continued his interests in environmental science, and in his long held belief in a life without war. He was active in Veterans Against the War, he was also a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists, as well as the president of his Teacher’s Union at EWU.

Horace is survived by his loving wife Katherine, his daughter Maggie Simms, his adopted daughter Linda Zobrist, his son-in-law David Brigham, and his one grandson, Sean Simms Brigham.

I lieu of flowers, consider a donation to any of the following: The Environmental Defense Fund, The Red Cross, or 350.org.

A celebration of life will be held in the springtime of 2017.