Volunteer duo: Richard, Kay Simmons

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Volunteer duo: Richard, Kay Simmons

Around Osceola

Wednesday, 30 June 2010 00:00

Submitted by the Osceola County Historical Society
Continuing our occasional series giving focus to some of the interesting and dedicated people who volunteer at the Osceola County Historical Society (OCHS), this time we introduce readers to the husband and wife team of Richard and Kay Simmons.
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Richard “Dick” Simmons was born in Kissimmee in 1928, and is a sixth-generation Floridian.
Graduating with a M.A. degree in public administration in 1951, Dick has had a busy career in public administration including, serving as city manager for several central Florida cities over the course of 37 years.
He was Kissimmee’s city manager from 1969 to 1985. And having a sincere concern for the community’s quality of life, he has continuously been active with various community service organizations, serving on their boards or fully engaged as a volunteering member.
Dick has served as a tour guide at OCHS since 1995.
“I’m particularly interested in Osceola County’s history, since my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all born in this area, and I had heard about the Osceola County Historical Society and the “Pioneer Day” event they present,” he said. “I really enjoyed my first visit to Pioneer Day, and the Society’s director asked if I could help as a tour guide when school children came to the center. This was fun for me, and I recruited some other old timers to assist, as well.”
In recent years, Dick’s wife, Kay, has joined him as a volunteer for numerous OCHS activities as a storyteller and atmosphere actor, when she can usually be seen fully attired as a pioneer woman complete with her red “granny bonnet.”
Kay Upson Simmons was born in Miami in 1932.
After graduating from Florida State University, she taught kindergarten in public school and taught in a special education program for the homebound working with hearing-impaired children from 6-months of age to 6-years.
Kay also has kept busy volunteering for more than 20 years as a hospital volunteer and with other community organizations.
Kay and Dick were married July 2, 1955. They met while Dick was city manager in Melbourne and Kay was in Melbourne vacationing with her parents. The couple moved to Kissimmee in 1986 after Dick’s retirement, and enjoy being one of those rare couples who were both born in Florida and happy to be known as “Crackers.”
They are looking forward to celebrating their 55th anniversary together.
Osceola County Historical Society volunteers come from a wide range of backgrounds and states. While some have had professional and high-profile careers, others have had — and hold — regular everyday jobs.
The common bond that brings all of them together is their love of Florida and its fascinating history, the desire to help the organization in its efforts to document and preserve this history, to help educate others about it and to help the organization grow and secure its future as an essential community entity.
Volunteers are truly the society’s lifeblood.
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There are a wide variety of roles for OCHS volunteers. Anyone interested in volunteering at the Osceola County Historical Society can call 407-396-8644.
The society along with its Pioneer Village are located at 750 N. Bass Road, just off U.S. Highway 192, in Kissimmee.