Luel Simmons

Luel P. Simmons, age 91 was born July 27, 1921 in Battle Creek, Michigan and died February 1, 2013 in Novi, Michigan. He met his wife, Marian Wilson Simmons, when they were in high school. They were married for 67 years until her death in 2011. They graduated from Kalamazoo College where he was a member of the Scholars Group, editor of the college yearbook, President of the College Singers and a member of Sigma Rho Sigma. He later graduated from Harvard Business School. His involvement with Kalamazoo College continued while he served on the Alumni Executive Board and spent twelve years on the Emeritus Club Board, four of them as co—president with his wife. He was a member of the Stetson Society and the 1833 Society and received the Co|lege’s Distinguished Service Award and the Emeritus Club Citation of Merit. He and his wife established the Luel and Marian Simmons Scholarship Fund. During WW II Mr. Simmons was a U. S. Navy Supply Corps Officer, serving on ships in the Pacific. After the war he was Supply Officer of the Naval Reserve Unit in Kalamazoo, while being employed by Ingersol Division of Borg—Warner Corporation. For 28 years, he was in sales in Detroit for Production Steel Company, which became Whittaker Steel where he was Vice President. He later joined the German Company Thyssen Steel, and subsequently founded and was President of Elsimco, lnc., a firm involved in international trade. He and his wife were among thirteen families who founded St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Troy, Michigan, a mission of Christ Church Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills. There he served five terms as Senior Warden, was on the Building Committee and was the first choir director. Eventually, the family rejoined Christ Church Cranbrook where he was Treasurer and twice Sr. Warden, was a licensed Lay Reader and for 25 years a head usher. He served the Diocese of Michigan as chair of the Committee on Constitution and Canons and as a member of the committee for Camp Chickagami. The family traveled to 47 states. After the children were grown Mr. and Mrs. Simmons visited some 80 countries and circumnavigated the globe. Luel was a 25 year member of the Bloomfield Open Hunt Club and a life member of the Birmingham Men’s Club. After residing in Bloomfield Hills for 49 years, they moved to Fox Run Retirement Community in Novi, Michigan where he was a member of the Committee for the Center of Continuous Learning, and the Philanthropy Committee, which funds the Benevolent Care Fund. Luel and Marian had three children: Marylu Andrews (David, deceased), Jonathan (deceased) and William (Marsha); five grandchildren: Stephen (Christine), Jonathan, and Michael (Stacey) Andrews, and Jennifer (Mark) Niesen and Allan Simmons; and eight great grandchildren: Daniel, Gregory, Sofia, Jack ,Luel, and Benjamin Andrews, and Lauren, Jackson and Keegan Niesen. A Memorial Service will be held March 9, 2013 at 11:00 at Christ Church Cranbrook, 470 Church Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48304, followed by a reception. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Artworks Fund at Christ Church Cranbrook or the Benevolent Care Fund at Fox Run, 41200 Fox Run Road, Novi, Michigan 48377.