Philip E. Simmons

CENTER SANDWICH Philip E. Simmons, 45, author, professor, musician, outdoorsman, died Saturday, July 27, 2002, at his home here, family and friends by his side. He had amyotrophic lateral schlerosis, known as ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease.Simmons learned he had ALS, a degenerative neuromuscular condition, when he was just 35 years old and on the fast track to academic and literary success as an associate professor of English at Lake Forest College in Illinois. He was told ALS kills its victims in two to five years.He beat those odds. Simmons lived nearly 10 more years, winning time to write a highly acclaimed book, "Learning to Fall, the Blessings of an Imperfect Life"; to create a new community arts group, the Yeoman's Fund for the Arts; to write and speak all over the place; and to master the art of saying goodbye with grace and humor and a twinkle in his eye.On May 26, his alma mater, Amherst College, awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Letters, commending him for "confronting the very palpable evidence of his own mortality."By that time, disease had weakened his ability to speak but not to think and his own remarks were read by his wife, artist Kathryn Field, his brother, Paul, and an old friend, Peggy Johnson.Philip Edward Simmons was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Winchester, Mass., spending summers among the hills and lakes of central New Hampshire. He earned degrees in English and physics from Amherst, a master of fine arts from Washington University in St. Louis and a PhD in English from the University of Michigan.He published both short fiction and criticism, including "Deep Surfaces," a work praised by the distinguished critic, William Pritchard, as an example of someone who really cared about literature and wanted to share it with others."Learning to Fall" had its origins in a series of talks Simmons gave at the North Shore Unitarian Church of Deerfield, Ill., following the ALS diagnosis. Initially unable to find a publisher, he chose to offer the book on the Internet. It was such a success that it caught the eye of international publisher Bantam Books, which brought out a new hardcover version of the book earlier this year.Rather than rest on his laurels, he was energized by that success, and continued writing. There are more essays and even a complete novel, "Rattlesnake Ridge," in his computer.As yet unpublished, the novel already has won praise from Rebecca Pepper Sinkler, former editor of the New York Times Book Review, as "an exciting debut novel by a rare man with a natural narrative gift, and a story to tell. Simmons' sly vision of small town New England life can be at turns hilarious and terrifying."Even as the disease sapped his strength, Simmons found the energy to dream up the Yeoman's Fund, whose mission is to promote events that strengthen the bonds of community and reach a broad range of folks of all ages. He assured it would last long after his death by setting up a permanent endowment within the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.Music had always been an important part of Simmons' life. He was a gifted singer, guitar player, occasional public performer, and enthusiastic listener. One of his favorites was the Rutter "Requiem," which was selected as the first production of the new Yeoman's Chorus in 2001.Simmons and his family moved to New Hampshire when his disease was in its early stages. They had built a vacation home next door to his parents, Alan and Mary Simmons, and remodeled it to meet his needs.In illness, Simmons learned to ask for, and accept, help. Out of that real need came an organization of more than 30 local men and women, known as FOPAK, Friends of Phil and Kathryn. For nearly three years, they helped ease the family's burdens by cooking, cleaning, ferrying kids around, and helping Simmons up in the morning and to bed at night.At Amherst, the honorary degree citation summed it up this way: "He now does his writing and living with the considerable help of his wife Kathryn Field, his children Aaron and Amelia, and a caring community of people in his small town of Center Sandwich. As he has said, `It takes a village to care for me.'"Interviewed for a TV documentary, Simmons said years of adversity taught him how to achieve his aims: "I boss people around." He was, in fact, known fondly as something of a control freak. Friends and acquaintances regularly received e-mails requesting even assigning them tasks.In a final example of his will to prevail, he wrote his own eulogy and even designated the person with the right comic touch to deliver the piece as he intended it.In addition to his parents, wife and children, Simmons leaves four brothers, G. David Simmons of Los Angeles, Peter A. of Yorba Linda, Calif., Michael A. of Winchester, Mass., and Paul I., a doctor in Denver. A memorial service will be held 3 p.m., Friday, Aug. 2, at the Plymouth Congregational Church in Plymouth, NH. Burial will be private.The family asks that in lieu of flowers donations be made in Simmons' name to the Yeoman's Fund for the Arts, P.O. Box 75, Center Sandwich, NH 03227.