Born: March 31, 1913 in New Jersey
Died: January 15, 1968 in California
Boys Technical High School, Brooklyn, N.Y. 1931
RCA Institute, N.Y. 1932
Pratt Technical Institute, N.Y. 1934
Bob Simmons came west to California in 1937 and settled in Santa Paula. He began competitive target shooting with both pistol and rifle in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Starting in 1940 he won hundreds of medals as he progressed through local, state, regional and finally, national matches. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s Bob participated in the National Championships held annually at Camp Perry, Ohio. Camp Perry has been the home of the National Matches, considered America’s “World Series of Shooting Sports”, since 1907. By 1950, Bob was a member of the California State Pistol and High Power Rifle Team. In 1956 he set a national accuracy record for four-man team pistol competition. He scored 1156 points out of a possible 1200. He was captain of California’s pistol team in 1960 and a member of the eight-man High Power Rifle Team, which won a gold medal in 1966. He was also awarded a Distinguished Medal in rifle shooting. Bob was an adventurous type; he enjoyed acting and flying. He flew solo in a Piper Cub across the U.S.A. in the 1940s.
COMMUNITY
Bob earned his degree in Radio and Sound Engineering in 1934 and after moving to California, opened up Bob Simmons Radio and T.V. in Santa Paula. He was an active member of the community and coached pistol and rifle target shooters for many years. His four children still live in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.