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Obituary for SIMMS


Published in the Albuquerque Journal on Sunday March 19, 2006

Donald Mercer Simms, M.D., age 89, passed away March 15, 2006. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Marjorie, and his second wife, Ruth; daughters, Kathy and Patricia; his parents, J. Denton and May Simms; and his brother, Harper. He is survived by son, Tom Simms and wife, Connie of Walport, OR; son, Donald Simms, Jr. and wife Nilda of Aurora, CO; brothers, Richard and David; and sisters, May Denham and Margery Miller. He is also survived by six grandchildren. He was born in Dulce, NM, in 1916. He received his undergraduate education at UNM and Texas Tech University., and his M.D. degree at Northwestern University Medical School. After internship and residency, he served as a physician in the 13th Armored Medical Division, World War II, in Europe. After his military service, he practiced for several years in Wisconsin before moving back to New Mexico, where he served as a general surgeon in Albuquerque. He retired in 1963 and moved to Ruidoso, where he resumed a limited practice and served as the track physician for Ruidoso Downs, until a few years ago.