J. James Simons' Obituary
Legendary Broward County Litigator J. Jay Simons Dies at 101
J. Jay Simons, a legendary Broward County attorney and former municipal judge, died Sunday, May 19, at 101 years old.
From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, Simons and partner Sheldon J. Schlessinger spearheaded one of Florida’s top personal injury and medical malpractice firms. For nine years, in the late 60s and early 70s, Simons served as a municipal court judge in Hollywood and Cooper City.
But perhaps what Simons will be best remembered for, on a professional basis, is his steadfast refusal to fully retire.
He kept working through his 101st birthday as a court-appointed mediator after experiences owning other firms, including one with son Daniel Simons, who died in 2010 at age 52 following a long battle with cancer.
Later in life, virtual Zoom mediations kept Jay Simons active with much work being done in the condominium and homeowner litigation sector.
“I love what I do, and I just can’t see myself sitting around in a rocking chair doing nothing,” he told Jim Ash, a senior editor at the Florida Bar Journal who reported on Simons’ professional stamina just prior to his 100th birthday on Dec. 19, 2022. “As long as this thing up here (his brain) continues to function, I’m going to function.”
After growing up in Boston, Simons joined the Army Air Corps at age 20. He spent World War II in Hawaii, working as an aircraft mechanic shortly after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.
After the war, Simons vacationed with his parents in Florida and decided he was through with Boston’s chilly temperatures.
With the aid of the G.I. Bill, Simons enrolled in law school at the University of Miami, graduated and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1950. He then started his first private practice in Hollywood, Fla.
Simons’ service included positions as president of the Trial Lawyers Association and the Municipal Judges Association, president of the American Paint Horse Association, board vice president of the Broward County 4H Association, and chairman of the South Broward County Parks board when the committee oversaw development of C.B. Smith Park, Treetops Park and Sheridan Beach Park.
Simons is survived by his wife of 70 years, Nancy, daughter Andrea, and son Joseph and his wife Doe; as well as grandchildren Sara, Jana, Zack, Asher, Taylor, Cara, Matthew and Jonah; and great-grandchildren Ellis, Lila, Rocket and Dusty Rose.
A graveside memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m., Wednesday, May 22, at Evergreen Cemetery, 1300 SE 10th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to Trustbridge hospice
https://trustbridge.com/give/
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