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Bob Simmons

Image by Nick Andréka

ROBERT ALLEN SIMMONS

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June 29, 1949 - January 29, 2022

With heavy hearts, we acknowledge the passing of Robert Allan Simmons (Bob) on Saturday Jan 29th at Brandon Regional Health Centre at the age of 72.

 

Bob was born in 1949 in Portage la Prairie to parents Thomas and Georgina (Horwood) Simmons. He attended Victoria, Arthur Meighen, and PCI schools. Upon graduation, Bob obtained his Bachelor of Science followed by a Bachelor of Education from Brandon University.

 

A lifelong interest in music led to operating the Autumn Stone record store in downtown Brandon for a few years before ultimately settling into a career at Assiniboine Community College as an instructor in the Media Studies program. “Audio Bob” made many friends of his colleagues and students who graduated from the program.

 

Bob will be lovingly remembered by his daughters: Jil (Mike Steeves), Carrie (Kent Stander) & Emma, as well as his two grandchildren, Georgia & Sam. He will also be remembered by the girls’ mother, Karen. Bob is also survived by his brothers, Gordon of Calgary, and Don (Nancy) of Vulcan AB, and several nieces and nephews and their children.

 

At Bob’s request, a private family service will take place in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Leave Your Mark campaign of the Assiniboine Community College Foundation, raising funds to equip the new Centre for Creative Media.

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ETHICAL DEATH CARE

Cremation & Life Celebrations

530 St. Mary Avenue - Winnipeg

204-421-5501 - www.ethicaldeathcare.com

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Memories, Stories and Condolences

 

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Amy

May 12, 2024 at 7:48 AM

Miss you.  Hope to see you on the other side. Love, Amos
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Mike MacFarlane

July 27, 2022 at 2:38 PM

Definitely the best part of taking the Broadcast Arts course was meeting Bob.  I always enjoyed talking with him, and was happily surprised to see him again each time he checked up on practicum students at the stations where I was working.  It cracks my heart to hear of his passing, but I’m sure he knew the brightness he brought into everyone’s eyes.
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Lesley Glendinning

March 1, 2022 at 8:04 PM

So sad to hear of Bob's passing. I knew him at ACC, as such a kind, warm, funny, fun, smart person, a social magnet, a lovely man. There was always something interesting to talk about with him around. Wish I'd had a chance to see him again. Gone much too soon. Heartfelt condolences to family and friends. 
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Joe Parsons and Susan Hawkins

February 28, 2022 at 3:33 PM

Susan and I were so sorry to find out about Bob's passing. We both worked with Bob at ACC and Susan was on the Library committe with Bob who was very passionate about libraries. I will miss the brief talks I had with him everytime  we run into him. 
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Jack & Bev Cumming

February 20, 2022 at 9:01 PM

Writing for Jack, who as Bob well knew, doesn’t use computers. Jack & Bob were music trading buddies for many years. They loved really really obscure music! Bob was so patient with Jack when formats changed from albums, tapes, and CD’s to EP’s and downloads. I imagine he was similarly patient with his students. We were so happy when he found the job at ACC that he loved and was perfectly suited for. Jack isn’t very comfortable with illness and end of life, but he did reach out to Greg to see if there was a way to visit Bob in the hospital during his final days. That was not to be. Jack was pretty quiet all day when Greg called to let us know that Bob died. It’s never easy to lose a friend.  Love and sympathy to all Bob’s girls: Jil, Carrie, Emma, & Karen. I think he always felt very lucky to have all of you in his life!
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Neil Trembath

February 19, 2022 at 8:06 PM

My first contact with Bob was in the men’s residence at BU in 1968, but I didn’t get to know him well until later on, when he was working at the Autumn Stone.  I became good friends with Bob as a result of the time I spent with him at the store, and also with Greg Bryan who was an earlier friend of his (more on this later).  When the time came to part with my Triumph motorcycle, Bob promised to give it a good home.  When I bought a Volkswagen Beetle and needed a place to overhaul its engine, Bob let me do so in the garage behind his house on 13th Street.  It subsequently carried us all the way to the East Coast (and back) in 1975.  When I was in Winnipeg for the following two years, and then on my family’s farm for three years in the late 70s, I made many visits to Brandon, and Bob and Karen always welcomed me to stay with them in their house on Princess Ave.  But friendship with Bob had a much more significant impact on my life.  Greg and I had a mutual interest in sailing, which led to us buying a boat together, and then buying identical boats of our own.  One day, Greg brought his sisters along for a beautiful afternoon of sailing on Pelican Lake, and 4 years later Carol became my wife.  Bob and Greg were my Best Men.  And now, sadly, one of the best is gone.        
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Steve Burgess

February 14, 2022 at 3:19 AM

Hanging around at the Autumn Stone chatting with (and probably annoying) Bob was a major part of my teen years. Later Bob became a co-worker of my mom, Joan Burgess, at ACC. I'll admit that creeped me out a bit since Bob was, to me, a giant of the local counter-culture--not a professional colleague of my own mother! But Bob was a great guy for a young music lover to hang with. Even at the Autumn Stone he was an educator. My condolences and best wishes to the family.
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Judy Bartel

February 14, 2022 at 1:44 AM

Bob was one of a very dear group of friends I met when I first arrived in Brandon and started working at Assiniboine more than 30 years ago, and who have been of immense importance in my life. I will remember Bob always when I think about the nights at the James Lake cabin, hikes and bike rides in Riding Mountain, dinners at the Grey Owl, and evenings at my house, which on at least one occassion led to Bob tuning the piano with a pair of pliers.  Although quiet and unassuming, Bob was always at  the center of a lunch time table in the  cafeteria, drawing people from many departments to contribute to the New York Times crossword puzzles.   Like many,  I enjoyed his wit, his facility with language, his unvariable good nature.  Working in Student Services, we heard many things about instructors, and it was always wonderful to hear of instructors like Bob, who were never spoken of without enthusiastic praise. Gone much too soon!
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Murray Evans

February 14, 2022 at 1:42 AM

Condolences to Bob’s family. I spent a bit of time with Bob over the past two years, after having spent no time with him for decades. I have great memories of Bob from the mid 80’s playing and talking music. My last email exchange in December had Bob pronouncing that he was going through “a spot of surgery”. Always a trooper with a huge heart and an amazingly cool conversationalist. I will miss him dearly.
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Ashley Brandson

February 13, 2022 at 4:53 AM

I’m so sorry to hear of Bob’s passing! He was one of my instructors when I took the Interactive Media Arts Program. A very caring person who will be missed dearly! My thoughts are with the Bob’s family.❤️
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