Judge Simms Memorial Fund


Pledge Card .pdf

Questions Judge Simms Memorial Fund .pdf

Donor Recognition Judge Simms Memorial Fund.pdf

Judge Simms Memorial Reception.pdf

One needed only to see the line at his memorial service to appreciate how deeply he was respected and loved as a judge, family man, and citizen in our community.

I stood in line with Cary Gaylord, who with his wife reminisced on growing up in Seminole Heights with Judge Simms, where they went on to attend Hillsborough High School (with a surprising number of others who went on to become lawyers in Tampa). Cary reflected on Judge Simms' work ethic and that he was always prepared for hearings.

Many of us had the privilege of knowing Judge Simms as a master and former president of the William Glenn Terrell Inn of Court. When he was moving to the civil division, he remarked that he knew he would be considering substantive law areas he had not seen in a while, and invited lawyers to help him by submitting memos and case law.

Once after an Inn program on appeals, a group of us were heading for the elevator down from the Tampa Club. Someone had remarked how some trial judges say the first mail they want to see are envelopes from the Second District Court of Appeal, to see if they had been affirmed or reversed.

When someone asked Judge Simms if he dreaded seeing those envelopes arrive, he said "no," that he felt comforted by knowing that judges of the quality we have on the Second District would be reviewing his rulings and reversing any mistakes.

Our group walked from the main elevators to the elevators in the adjoining parking garage and rode up to one of the floors. Judge Simms and I got off on the same floor. I remarked, now I just had to remember where I parked my car. Judge Simms responded, "I would rather get reversed than forget where I parked my car."

Judge Simms took the law seriously, but as the foregoing shows, had a great attitude toward being a judge, and a great sense of humor.

Bay Area Legal Services is pleased to present an opportunity to honor the memory of Judge Robert Simms. An anonymous gift of $25,000 in memory of Judge Simms is available to be matched by $75,000 in contributions made in his memory by May 31, 2005.

The $100,000 will be part of the Bay Area Legal Services endowment fund, managed by the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay. The training center at Bay Area Legal Services will be named the "Judge Robert J. Simms Training and Conference Center."

written by: Tom Elligett, Esquire
Schropp, Buell & Elligett

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