Joan Simms

Joan (Frost) Simms was born 6-1-30 to Fred and Amelia Frost in Denver, CO. She had twin older sisters Jean and Jeanette and a dog named Patsy.
Joan attended East High School and was honored by classmates to be selected to the ROTC. Joan graduated June 18, 1948, as an "A" student in bookkeeping, stenography, and typing.
Joan was an active youth. She enjoyed skiing and riding the trolly/streetcar to Long's Peak where she and a girlfriend would hike up to the top of the peak to ride horses and then ran all the way down the mountain, celebrating at an ice cream shop on their way home.
Right out of high school Joan worked as a secretary for two men at the Armstrong Cork Co.
Joan's sister Jean lived next door in the same duplex to a woman named Norine Ray. Norine asked Jean to ask Joan to write to her son Jack to try to entice Jack back to Denver. For about a year Joan and Jack corresponded. On Halloween 1949, Jack showed up at Joan's front door to take her out for a soda. Jack proposed on Valentine's Day 1950, and they were married on Jun 23rd, 1950.
The newlyweds immediately moved to Chicago for Jack to attend DeForest Training School in electronics. Joan was able to transfer with Armstrong Cork Co. as secretary to the head of one of the branches. She rode the "L" to work for six months. During this time, Joan and Jack met and became lifelong friends with Roma and Warren Downen who taught them how to play bridge. Bridge was a card game they played the rest of their lives.
After Chicago, Joan and Jack lived for a short time in Evanston, IN and then Denver. They then ended up at the Naval Base in Astoria, OR where Joan got a secretarial job right away with the Motor Pool. In 1954 they moved back to Denver and later bought their first home in Lakewood, CO. Both Mom and Dad ended up working at the Denver Federal Center – Mom ultimately as the office manager of the Water Resources Division of Geological Survey Department until her early retirement on her 60th birthday June 1, 1990. During her work life Joan also sold Avon, meeting some lifelong friends including Annie and Willie Williams.
Both Joan and Jack played in several bowling leagues. Mom even won a trip to Washington D.C. to bowl in a national tournament. They met dear friends through bowling who would come to our home for many of Mom's delicious meals and to play card games including Tripoli, Bridge of course, and "Oh Hell".
About a year after Joan's husband Jack's long health struggle ended, mom met Don Guttenstein at a widows and widowers bridge playing group. They became special companions.
Joan is survived by her children Catherine Simms (Garrett Bell), Vickie Blinn (Stephen Blinn) and grandson Jason Simms-Lee, Ian Bell (Blake Bell), Tyler Bell (Alyssa Bell) and great granddaughters McKenna, Madison, Peyton, and Zoe Bell.
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