Simms had a big impact on the community through his commitments to volunteering and green space preservation and he was an advocate for public transit, public housing, civic participation and government cooperation, efficiency and transparency.
“He loved Dayton and he did everything he could to promote Dayton,” said his son, Charlie Simms. “He led by example. ... He was a really great guy.”
Simms died on March 3 at age 93 at his Florida home a couple of months before his 94th birthday. He split his time between his homes in Oakwood and the Sunshine State.
Simms was a fifth generation Daytonian.
His great-great grandfather, Alexander Simms, was one of the first settlers in Dayton. His grandfather, Charles H. Simms, owned what became the Dayton Daily News, which he ultimately sold to Gov. James Cox. Charles’ father, William Alexander Simms, was a homebuilder who operated Springbrook Development.
In his youth, Simms delivered newspapers to Orville Wright. The inventors of the first successful airplane practiced flying at the Simms’ family farm, which was called Simms Station. The farm later became part of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
After graduating from Oakwood High School in 1950 and Georgetown University four years later, Simms served as a pilot and lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. He married Elizabeth Ann Harlamert Simms in 1955 and they had four children.
In 1957, Simms founded Charles V. Simms Development Corp. He and his father have been credited with constructing some of the first condominiums in the Dayton area, which still stand today. Many of his firm’s housing projects were in Dayton’s southern suburbs and include Cedar Cove in Centerville and Nantucket Landing, Harbour Club, Nutt Road Estates and Polo Club Estates in Washington Twp.
In the late 1960s, Simms helped build new public housing for poor families in East Dayton. He believed the project would give homebuilders a blueprint for how to turn a profit while creating much-needed public housing. Charles urged the community to embrace low-income housing, and he described some opposition to affordable housing as racist.
While serving as the president of the Home Builders Association of Dayton, Simms called on leaders across the county, especially in suburban communities, to provide more housing units for the elderly and the disadvantaged.
In his late 30s, Simms got involved in politics. He served on the Oakwood City Council from 1967 to 1972, and then he served as a Montgomery County commissioner the following four years.
On the campaign trail, Simms said he was concerned about the lack of public knowledge about the functions and decisions of county government. He painted himself as a problem solver who could improve government efficiency and intergovernmental cooperation.
The Dayton Daily News endorsed Simms for county commissioner, saying his skills and talents could help develop the county’s incorporated areas. In a letter to the editor, a local supporter called Simms a “proven leader” who is not afraid to stand up for what he thinks is right.
After he lost his reelection bid in 1976, Simms donated his personal papers from his four years in office to the library archives at Wright State University.
“I think it would be interesting for someone in the future to see how county government was run from the viewpoint of a commissioner,” he said.
Simms fought to preserve, improve and expand public transit. He was chairman of the Montgomery-Greene counties transportation coordinating committee and vice chairman of the Miami Valley Regional Transit Authority.
“If we could get just the people who work in offices downtown to ride the bus, we could take one-third of the cars off the streets,” he said in June 1971. “Think of what that would mean from an ecological viewpoint.”
Simms supported proposals to provide transit subsidies to reduce bus fares for the elderly and riders with disabilities.
He was chairman of a regional open space committee, made up of private citizens and outdoor professionals, who worked to protect environmentally important natural areas. He viewed open space as one of the region’s most vital assets.
As a builder, Charles V. Simms Development Corp. promised its homes were constructed in a “tradition of uncompromising craftsmanship.” Simms liked innovative home designs, including ranch-style and stacked residential units.
The family company is still building homes today, though the name was changed to Charles Simms Development after Charles’ son, Charlie H. Simms, purchased the business in 1996. The firm’s motto remains “quality comes first.”
Charlie H. said his father taught him there’s nothing more important than being honest.
“He always said, ‘If you take care of your company, it’ll take care of you,’” Charlie said. “It’s pretty cool to have generational heritage in the city and generational businesses. We have a lot of pride in our family.”
Two years ago, Charlie H. sold the family business to his sons Robi and Crosby Simms, who are now co-presidents. Robi will become the first-ever third generation president of the Ohio Home Builders Association in 2028.
Charlie H. says his family members, much like his father, have a strong passion for Dayton. Simms is survived by 12 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
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