CHESAPEAKE, Virginia – John Kaul Simmons, 81, of Chesapeake, Virginia went to be with the Lord on Friday, July 19, 2019. Born on July 12, 1938 in Beloit, Kansas, he was the son of the late Fred Simmons and Bernice Kaul.
John started his academics in a one-room schoolhouse in Barnard, Kansas in second grade. He attended Beloit high school, graduating in 1956. John met the love of his life, Gail Parrish, and they wed in l959 in Prairie Village, KS.
After entering college with interests in both music and agricultural engineering, John found his passion in the field of accounting, receiving his B.S. in Accounting from Kansas State University in 1960, his MBA from the University of Denver in 1961, and his Ph.D. in Accounting from Ohio State University in 1967. Subsequent to obtaining his doctorate, he joined the accounting faculty at the University of Minnesota. There, he quickly ascended to the rank of full professor and chairman of the accounting department. In 1974, he moved to Gainesville to assume the position of chairman of the accounting department at the University of Florida. It was his mission to grow the UF accounting program to become one of the best in the country, and in conjunction with that effort, he sought to make the accounting program a school of its own. That effort was successful, and in 1977, he became the founding director of what is now the Fisher School of Accounting. During his tenure at Florida, he was also a strong advocate of the 150 hour requirement for education of accounting students and contributed to Florida becoming the first state to adopt this requirement. In addition, he served as President of the Federation of Schools of Accountancy, Chairman of the CPA Exam Review Board of the National Association of the Board of Examiners of the AICPA, was active in the establishment of the Accounting Education Change Commission, and held the KPMG Peat, Marwick, Mitchell Distinguished Service Professor of Accounting chair. Dr. Simmons was also proud to have served as President of the American Accounting Association from 1989 to 1990. His numerous professional awards include the AICPA Outstanding Educator award, the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants Outstanding Educator Award, the American Accounting Association/AICPA's Outstanding Literature Contribution, the Federation of Schools of Accounting Faculty Merit Award, and the Beta Alpha Psi National Accountant of the Year in Education.
In addition to his many professional accomplishments, John was also an avid sailor and snow skier. In 2007, he moved to Chesapeake to be closer to his two granddaughters. After retirement, he also focused on his faith, actively participating in his church, Great Bridge Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include his devoted wife of 59 years, Gail, two daughters, Kauleen in Gainesville, FL, and Laura Simmons Pouloutides (John) in Chesapeake, VA, granddaughters Alexandra and Elizabeth Pouloutides, brother Richard (Betsy) in Venice, FL, and many nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in Beloit at 10:30 A.M. on August 31st. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research or the Great Bridge Presbyterian Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.
