William Leo Simmons

William L. Simmons died on January 31, 2016 in Savannah, Georgia.?? He was born on December 11, 1932 in Shaqualak, Mississippi to Roger and Minnie Belle Sellars Simmons, whose Scotch-Irish and German antecedents arrived in the state in the 1840s.?? Attending public schools in Meridian, Mississippi, he was president of student affairs at the then Meridian High School/Junior College.?? He was part time radio announcer at the local CBS affiliate.?? He graduated in 1954 from Mississippi Southern University where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega social fraternity.



After service in the US Army during the Korean conflict, he entered the Foreign Service of the US Department of State, serving in a variety of positions in Washington and in overseas posts during a 28 year career.?? He was a member of the US delegation to the UN General Assembly in 1964.?? He was province Senior Adviser in Ba Xuyen Province, RVN in 1969.?? He was also acting Consul General in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.?? He was honored with Meritorious Service Awards for performances in South Vietnam and Pakistan.



After retirement, he resided for several years in Mandelieu/La Napoule on the Cote d'Azur France.?? He also worked part time for the Department of State's Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the office of Freedom of Information.?? After a lengthy search for an American residence, he settled in the historic district of Savannah in 1989.?? He was awarded by the Historic Savannah Foundation in 1998 for the renovation of an 1886 fire station into a residence.



He is survived by a sister, Carol Simmons Pait of Leesburg, Florida; a brother, Roger Simmons, of Orlando, Florida; two sisters in law, Joyce, of Orlando and Nell, of Hilton Head, as well as several nieces and nephews.?? An older brother, Ralph, died in 2011.



He will be buried in the family cemetery in Preston, Mississippi.?? A private celebration of life will be hosted by his family in Savannah.