Leon A. Sims

1927 - 2020

Leon A. Sims

Tallahassee - Leon Acy Sims, 92, passed away Sunday, May 24, 2020 in Tallahassee. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and uncle.

Leon was born on August 7, 1927 in a sharecropper house occupied by his parents, Lawrence Alexander Sims and Ebbie Leona Crews Sims, on a farm in Suwannee County, FL, 3 miles east of Branford, FL.

He grew up on that farm and graduated from Branford School which he attended for all 12 years. He was student body president and an active member of the FFA chapter, achieving every FFA degree available. Leon graduated with a bachelor degree in Agriculture from the University of Florida in 1952 and with a 2nd Lieutenant rating in the U.S. Army. He served on active duty with the U.S. Transportation Corporation Operation Unit in Goose Bay Labrador with a 7-year U.S. Army reserve commitment.

Leon married his wife, Miriam of 63 years in 1954. He went back to UF and he received his master's degree in 1955 in Agricultural Ed. Leon taught agriculture on the high school level from 1955 to 1960 and was an assistant professor of Agricultural Ed. at UF from 1962 to 1965. He received his Doctorate of Education in 1966 from UF, and moved to Tallahassee, FL where he worked for the FL Dept of Education as coordinator, bureau chief and assistant director in the division of vocational, technical and adult education. After his retirement in 1989, he served as research associate for the FSU Center for Needs Assessment and Strategic Planning.

Leon received many awards throughout his career for his work in Vocational Education. He was inducted into the FL Vocational Association Hall of Fame in 1993. He was an active member of the FFA, a member of the Seasoned Owls and provided valuable insight and assistance for the Seasoned Owls' History Project. He was inducted into the Florida FFA Hall of Fame in 2014. He also was an active member of the Capital City Rotary Club for many years.

Leon was a long-time member of First Baptist Church, Tallahassee, FL where he taught a men's Bible Study class for nearly 50 years, until he was almost 90 years old. He was a deacon, served as chairman of the deacons, was on a pastor search committee as well as many other committees. He was a wise counsel, a Christian mentor to many and loved by all.

Leon is preceded in death by his wife, Miriam, an infant son, his parents, Alex and Ebbie and all 7 of his brothers and sisters. Leon is survived by his daughters; Ann Nichols and Janet Busman (Kal), 6 grandchildren; Elizabeth Ann Nichols, Andrew Nichols, Patrick Nichols (Christina), Caroline Offerdahl (Drew), Joshua Busman (Sarah), Matthew Busman, great-grandsons; Arthur Busman, and Simon Busman and a host of loving nieces and nephews and wonderful friends.

There will be a private family burial in Branford, FL. A memorial service celebrating Leon's life will be scheduled at First Baptist Church, Tallahassee, FL at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the FBC Endowment Fund, 108 West College Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32301.

Rocky Bevis of Bevis Funeral Home in Tallahassee (850/385-2193 or www.bevisfh.com) is assisting the Sims family with their arrangements.