Dear Community,
It is with sadness that we share that John Simons, Professor Emeritus of English, died at his home on February 12 after an illness. John taught at Colorado College for 46 years, retiring in 2017. After retirement, he continued to teach occasional classes until 2023. Known for his dedication, John inspired generations of students to, as a colleague shared, “pay attention to word and world, a pun his beloved James Joyce himself made use of.” His sophisticated humor and hearty laugh, echoing down the second floor of Armstrong, fostered warmth and community among his colleagues. Like his steady presence, John’s thoughtfulness invited others into genuine relationship.
John loved literature, reading widely and deeply. His breadth of knowledge was astounding. He savored not only Joyce and Shakespeare but also modern fiction. Grounded, John brought joyful humility to the books he taught. His quiet tenacity encouraged students to dive deep into the author's world. Described as a traditionalist with a sparkling wit, John held both high standards and affection for his students. He delighted in co-teaching courses like Politics and Films, Ancient and Modern Concepts of Liberty, and Ulysses with colleagues who shared similar interests. He made co-teaching fun and meaningful. Profoundly committed to liberal arts education, John prioritized time for face-to-face conversations outside the classroom, taking joy in exploring language, image, and the great thinkers, among others. In the words of a friend, John embodied the character of the great teachers, understanding the College as “a community of teachers and students expressing varying voices and views in quest of common understanding.”
CC was gifted by John’s instrumental role in helping create the film studies program at CC. John had a genuine love of movies, starting as a child growing up in a smaller river town in Michigan. Over time, this love translated into becoming a scholar of film and the intersection of literature and film. John’s knowledge of cinema was encyclopedic. He watched films with keen, detailed attention, teaching students how to intentionally engage and analyze film. His first course, called Novel Into Film, was taught in the late 1970s using 16mm rolls of film, his later classes expanding to Westerns—his passion—and current technology. John’s scholarship of film and the literature of film was deepened in 1972 and 1984 when he won Ford Foundation grants and Benezet Summer Research stipends. In 2011, he co-authored a book about Sam Peckinpah with Robert Merrill, Peckinpah’s Tragic Westerns, in addition to writing many articles.
Whether serving on the Board of Directors of the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association (RMMLA), contributing to numerous campus committees including one for the renovation of Tutt Library, or taking part in the legendary CC Trivia Bowl, John relished being in community and being of use. That same spirit carried into his active involvement in the Episcopal Church, where over the years he served on vestries at Grace and St. Stephens and at Chapel of Our Saviour and participated in the Round Table men’s group. John also found joy in films and in cheering on his beloved Denver Nuggets, and he especially treasured time spent with his grandchildren and family.
A Memorial Service for John will be held on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 10 a.m. at Chapel of Our Saviour Episcopal Church, 8 Fourth St., Colorado Springs, CO 80906. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to Colorado College, Chapel of Our Saviour Episcopal Church, or Pikes Peak Hospice. Read his full obituary.
In this time of remembering and grief, may we hold in the light John’s wife of 57 years, Frear; his children Daisy Simons Barnard (Morgan), Jack Simons (Amanda); grandchildren Lark Miller, Buck Barnard, Opal Simons, and Annie Simons; as well as his sister Mary Lynn Simons, two nieces, two nephews, and their children. He was predeceased by his parents and sister Deborah Simons.
With Compassion,
