Willie Lee Simmons, Jr. was born on August 15, 1930, in West Monroe, LA. Willie was preceded in death by his parents, Willie L. Simmons, Sr. and Addie Lee Hill Simmons. Willie had one older brother, the late Chester Simmons. Willie lived in West Monroe through 1943. The family moved to Oakland, CA, where Willie graduated from McClymonds High School in 1948. In 1953, Willie married Pauline Nichols, and the couple had five children: Lorraine, Lorreta, Linda, Willie III, and LaVerne.
Educaton: Willie continued his education at Sacramento Junior College (now Sacramento City College), where he majored in Music and minored in Business Administration. He later graduated from Grant Technical College (now American River College) with an Associate in Arts degree in 1955.
Church: Willie joined the Shiloh Baptist Church in Sacramento, in 1947, and was a member of the Male Chorus since 1965.
Music: Willie started private music lessons at age 8 and began playing music professionally at age 15. He led his own band (Willie Simmons Plus Combo) for more than 20 years.
Military/Government Service: In 1950, Willie began his Federal Civil Service Career with the U.S. Department of Defense at the Sacramento Army Depot. He was drafted to the U.S. Army where he served at Fort Ord, CA which included a tour to Germany, England, and France. Willie also participated on the U.S. Army Championship Basketball Teams at Fort Ord and in Europe. After spending time in the military, Willie resumed his civil service career at the Army Depot, then transferred to McClellan Air Force Base.
At McClellan Air Force Base, he was integrally involved with the research and development of a key satellite guidance and intercept system that was used for the landing of some of the earlier NASA Space Shuttle flights. The same system was later upgraded with laser technology, deployed, and used during the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War to intercept Iraq’s “SKUD Missiles”. While his government service required extensive travel, Willie stayed in touch with family and friends, especially while traveling. Willie retired in January 1986 with 36 years of service.
Community Service: Willie served in various positions in Sacramento, which benefited the community. Some of the positions include: President of the Oak Park Little League (5 years); Member of the City of Sacramento’s Oak Park Project Area Committee administrating Community Block Grant Funds for Oak Park Area improvements (15 years); Chairperson of Oak Park Neighborhood Multi-Service Center’s Prevention Policy Board (16 years); Board Member of Project Help, a community-based board that provides information and guidance regarding the effects of the use of alcohol, drugs and substance abuse (6 years).
Most notably, Willie influenced the approval of $75,000 in Community Development Block Grant Funds for improvement to the athletic grounds located in the C. K. McClatchy Park, resulting in a state-of-the-art athletic facility. Throughout Willie’s adult life, he has received numerous awards and commendations from local/national dignitaries and organizations for his community service, dedication to the community, and impact on the world of golf.
Golf: Willie was a charter founding member of “The Sacramento Counts” Social Club (1956), which now operates as the Sacramento Area Black Golf Club. Willie was selected as an Editorial Advisory Board Member of the African American Golfer’s Digest (2007). The publicaton informs and educates readers on golf news as it impacts the Black American golfer. In 1990 Willie founded the Northern California Minority Junior Golf Scholarship Association (NCMJGSA). The corporation’s mission is to enrich the lives of minority and underprivileged youth in the Greater Sacramento Area by exposing them to the wonderful game of golf. More than 1,800 youth (ages 7-17) have attended the Golf Training program and 150 youth have received financial assistance via the corporation’s Collegiate Academic Scholarship Program (awards are paid up to 5 years per student).
Willie leaves to cherish his memory: Pauline, his wife of 71 years, children Lorraine Simmons, Lorreta Simmons, Linda Simmons, Willie Simmons III, and LaVerne Simmons-Barnet, grandchildren Charles White-Simmons, Regina Hill, and Thomas Barnet; and many more family members, friends in the Sacramento community, and colleagues in local/national golf associations.
