John Alvin Simms, age 86, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, at Maris Grove Rose Court in Glen Mills, PA, on July 12, 2017, of progressive supranuclear palsy.
John was the first son of Nellie Corn Simms and John Colbert Simms, Ph.D., of Dahlonega, GA and Roanoke, VA, now deceased. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio on April 2, 1931 while his father was attending Case Western Reserve University. John attended North Georgia College, where he was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps. John earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Purdue University. Beginning in 1955, John conducted applied chemical research for the DuPont Company at the Marshall Laboratory and Experimental Station. Culminating with his role as Senior Research Fellow, he invented technology leading to many commercially significant advances in the fields of polymers, coatings and adhesives. John presented at Gordon Research Conferences and International Chemical Meetings, published often in peer-reviewed journals, and held 35 U.S. and numerous foreign patents. At retirement, John received the Lavoisier Medal in recognition of his scientific contributions. He was a church trustee, taught adult Sunday school and was active in small group ministry.
He is survived by his best friend, companion and wife, Eliza Imogene “Jean” Brown Simms, two children, John Stephen (Denise) Simms, J.D., of Baltimore, Maryland and Barbara Simms (John) Hudock, Ph.D., of Cortlandt Manor, New York, and four grandchildren, Alison Leigh Simms, John Colbert Simms, Jordan Ashley Hudock, Justine Alexis Hudock, his brother, Paul C. (Shirley) Simms, Ph.D., of West Lafayette, Indiana, and several nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Brandywine Valley Baptist Church Memorial Fund or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (michaeljfox.org).
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