VERO BEACH, FLORIDA ― The founder of JMS Flower Farms, Inc. and the inventor of JMS Stylet-Oil passed away on March 25, 2004. His wife Marie and many of their children and grandchildren were at his side at the time of his passing.

Dr. Simons, "Jack" to his family and friends, 77, died from Parkinson’s Disease on Thursday, March 25, 2004 at his home in Vero Beach. Donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 96268, Washington, DC 20090-6268.

Jack was born on August 13, 1926 at Lennox, SD. He was the oldest son to Blanche Norton and Harry Simons. The family moved to the Bay Area in California at a time when Jack was enrolled in High School. Here he excelled in academic subjects as well as being the starting pitcher on the High School baseball team. He also played flute in the High School Symphony Orchestra and was elected President of the Senior Class.

While serving as a Corpsman in 1946 in the US Navy at Atlanta, he met his future wife, Marie Warner, a Lieutenant Junior Grade Registered Nurse in the US Navy. They married in 1948 and remained together as a loving couple for 55 years. During that time they raised ten children and were blessed with 22 grandchildren and 1 great-grandson.

After serving with the US Navy, Jack and Marie returned to the Bay Area where he enrolled at the University of California at Berkeley. In 1950 he graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree and that is just what he always called it ― "BS". In 1952 he graduated from UC Berkeley with a Ph.D. in Entomology. Thus began an illustrious career, first as a research virologist working for major agricultural corporations and later, as an entrepreneur / agricultural consultant.

While working in California during the 1960s, Jack worked on the Sierra Madre Parks & Recreation Department, was elected to the Sierra Madre City Council and, later, was elected Mayor of Sierra Madre. As Mayor he conceived of the idea to have the city build its first Community Recreation Center which remains in use today.

He was a member of the Entomological Society of America and did pioneering research on insect transmission of plant virus diseases. His peer-reviewed articles are still cited by contemporary researchers. He worked for the University of Florida at the Belle Glade Experiment Station from 1952 to 1960; Stanford Research Institute in Pasadena, California from 1960 to 1971; and Ciba-Geigy Corporation in Vero Beach, Florida from 1971 to 1977.

In 1977 Jack left the research field and went into business for himself. Using skills and knowledge gained from his research career he soon developed a safe, non-toxic mineral oil formulation for use on south Florida’s vegetable crops. The product interfered with aphid-transmission of plant virus diseases which were devastating south Florida vegetable production at the time. Today, after 29 years of continuous use in agriculture, the product is still being used for virus control both in the United States and abroad. Most notably, the product is now widely regarded as the premier mineral oil fungicide eradicant of powdery mildew disease on wine grapes in the United States.

Though Jack’s 40 plus years of professional service to agriculture was remarkable, his personal life as a loving husband and devoted father will be what his family and friends remember him for. He loved the outdoors, especially if it involved trout fishing, and took his children on many backpacking adventures into California’s rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains. His favorite "fish slayer" was a fly and a bubble, though when fish were on the dinner menu, he could ‘plunk a worm’ with the best of them. At age 50, he could out-walk and out-fish family members half his age.

When Jack wasn’t fishing for trout he was planning his next bird hunt ― which became his passion into his seventies. He loved hunting quail and pheasant but matching wits with waterfowl presented him with his greatest outdoor challenge. He carried his eight and one-half pound Browning 12-gauge Model A-5 shotgun through countless duck marshes for over 50 years and in the process taught his four sons the ethics and skills of waterfowl hunting. After watching him shoot, his four boys now realize he was the best damn wing shot they ever saw.

Jack was uniquely gifted and excelled at whatever he put his mind (and hands) to. His other hobbies included gardening, listening to his classical music collection, cooking (especially for large family gatherings), baking his infamous homemade pies, designing and building custom furniture (as well as furniture for his children), and taking annual September vacations to Vermont with his wife Marie when golden leaves were laden with frost.

He was no stranger to hard work. Several years after starting his own business, he needed to finance college tuition for four of his college-age children. His solution ― in addition to running his own business ― was to grow a fresh-cut flower garden at the corner of 12th St. and 25th Ave. here in Vero Beach. He spent many 16 hour days tending to the garden while his college-bound children sold his flowers out of the back of the station wagon at the old Keene’s Market on US 1. Jack and Marie sacrificed unselfishly so that all ten of their children could graduate from college.

Jack was a consummate family man who lived to please his beloved wife and their ten children. He had a passion for life, a generous heart, an infectious laugh, and was a man of high principle who set an example for others to follow. Whether he was admiring a crimson sunrise over his decoys from a duck blind or marveling at the last glint of sunshine on a High Sierra peak, he was a man of presence who found his place in the Universe. He lived a full life and his family and friends are indeed proud to have shared in that life.

Surviving family members include his wife Marie and their ten children: Daughters Pamela (and Steve) Coak from Altadena, California; Nancy Simons from Greenwich, Connecticut; Jill (and Rod) Douglas from Jupiter, Florida; Betsy (and Bruce) Harrison from Fort Pierce, Florida; Barbara (and Alex) Villar from Vero Beach, Florida; and, Laurel (and Brian) Wood from Vero Beach, Florida; Sons John E. (and Sharon) Simons from Pendleton, Oregon; Jeffery (and Marla) Simons from Vero Beach, Florida; Timothy (and Jenee) Simons from Vero Beach, Florida; and, Douglas (and Judy) Simons from Hilo, Hawaii; and, his 22 grandchildren: Amanda and Kellen Coak; Alan (and wife Michelle) Simons; Jennifer Douglas; Rebecca and Benjamin Harrison; Tiffany, Chelsea, Kimberly and Michael Simons; Ashley and Alex Villar; Bradley, Kyle, Katie and Melissa Simons; Douglas Knief, Emily and Julia Wood; Kirsten, Christopher and Jacob Simons; and, his great-grandson, Zachary Simons of Vero Beach; and Jack’s brother Frank of Tucson, Arizona.