Marshall Simonds

SIMONDS, Marshall "Pete", passed away in his home in Morrisville, VT on October 1, 2008. He was born September 17, 1930 in Belmont, MA the son of Sidney and Evelyn Simonds. "Pete" attended Belmont Hill School, Princeton University ('52) and Harvard Law School ('55). Pete joined the Boston Law Firm Goodwin Procter, LLP in 1955 and began a 45 year career with the firm. In addition to working on behalf of private clients he served as General Counsel to the Massachusetts Crime Commission, which was created by the Massachusetts Legislature in the 1960s to investigate corruption in state and local government, and served as Special Counsel to the Boston School Committee in the late 1970s, helping it respond to court orders in the difficult desegregation litigation. He was a longtime member of the American Bar Assoc. and was selected as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He lectured and trained trial skills at Harvard Law School, in various professional settings and in exchange with English Barristers. He also moderated and presented televised case scenarios for WGBH public television in a series called "Miller's Court!" He was deeply devoted to democratic town governance and spent more than 30 years as Moderator for Town Meeting in Carlisle, MA. Pete had a lifelong dedication to Labrador Retrievers which he trained and competed with his wife Kate. He was the proud owner of 13 Field Champion dogs and an advocate for the breed. He was a Delegate to the American Kennel Club and chaired numerous committees. He was the President of the National Retriever Club, President of the Colonial Retriever Field Trial Club a judge and competitor over 40 years in Labrador Retriever Field Trials. In 2001 he was elected to the Field Trial Hall of Fame. He was a founder of the AKC Health Foundation and a director of the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. He was a lifelong sportsman, naturalist and conservationist. He began spending time in Vermont in the 1960s, hunting, fishing and camping. He worked with the State to improve wildlife habitat at all of the property he owned. He eventually built a home and retired to Morrisville. Pete is survived by his wife Katharine B. Simonds, his children Robert Bradley Simonds, of Sugarloaf Key, FL, Wendell J. Hausdorff of Brussels, Belgium, Katharine J. Holloway of Charlottesville, VA and Joshua L. Simonds of South Burlington, VT and eight grandchildren. A Memorial Celebration of the Life of Pete Simonds will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008 at 2:00pm at the First Religious Society, 27 School St., Carlisle, MA. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in memoriam to the AKC Canine Health Foundation, P.O. Box 900061, Raleigh, NC 27675-9061.