James "Jay" Simons loved his work so much that he was at it as recently as two weeks ago, plugging away as a court-appointed mediator despite having reached retirement age during the Reagan administration. Simons died Sunday at his home in Weston. He was 101. "The only way he could have gotten closer to working right until the end would be if he died as his desk," said his son.
James “Jay” Simons loved his family, his country and helping people through his work, which involved helping people through his work as a lawyer, Hollywood Municipal Court Judge, and finally as a court-appointed mediator.
He loved his work so much that he was at it as recently as two weeks ago, plugging away as a court-appointed mediator despite having reached retirement age during the Reagan administration.
Simons died Sunday at his home in Weston. He was 101.
“The only way he could have gotten closer to working right until the end would be if he died as his desk,” said his son, Joe Simons.
A former partner of Sheldon J. Schlessinger, Simons was once one of the premier personal injury and medical malpractice lawyers in South Florida. He served as a municipal court judge in Hollywood and Cooper City in the 1960s and 70s, mostly handling code enforcement cases.
When he reached the age of 100, he didn’t even think of slowing down.
“I have to get relicensed once every three years by the Bar Association,” he said in December 2022. “As long as they keep assigning cases to me, I’m going to keep doing this.”
A Boston native, Simons moved to South Florida with his parents after serving in the Army during World War II.
According to his family, Simons served as president of the Trial Lawyers Association and the Municipal Judges Association and was chairman of the South Broward County Parks board when the committee oversaw development of C.B. Smith Park, Treetops Park and Sheridan Beach Park.
He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Nancy; daughter Andrea; son Joseph and his wife Doe; eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to Trustbridge hospice.
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457.
