Robert Keith Simmons

1924 - 2012

Robert Keith Simmons, of Cathedral City passed away on Wednesday, March 14th at Odyssey House in Palm Desert, California. Robert was born on September 3, 1924 in Berea, Ritchie County, West Virginia, to Pearl (Colgate Buzzard) and Curtis L. Simmons. Robert was a veteran of WWII, having enlisted in the Navy and served as a quartermaster while stationed in Alaska. After the war, he put himself through school, earning a degree in Business Administration from the University of West Virginia. Interested in design, Robert moved to Arlington, Virginia and excelled at the job of staging model homes in residential developments. In his spare time, he attended estate auctions and developed a thriving business buying and selling antiques and collectibles. From there, he became adept at the real estate business. He enjoyed not only the process of buying and selling but also the renovation of those properties he purchased. His crowning achievement was the purchase and renovation of the Polynesian House in Key West, Florida. It was so well done that Architectural Digest featured it the year he finished working on it. From a life as a care giver to a life of caring and giving to others, Robert's generosity spanned many decades. As a very young man he cared for and supported his invalid mother and as a landlord Robert may have forgiven more rents than he collected. A kind, gentle man, Robert will be deeply missed by the many people who knew and loved him. He is survived by his longtime partner, Blaine Miller also of Cathedral City. A special thanks to Odyssey Hospice Care of Palm Desert. They did an incredible job caring for Robert in his last days. A celebration of Robert's life will be held at a later date at his home in Cathedral City.