view raw text
Heart Attack Is Fatal To Thomas W. Simmons Hollywood Park Official Stricken At His Los Angeles Residence HOIiYWOOD PARK, Jnglewood, Calif., May 20.— Thomas "W. Simmons, chairman of. the Hollywood Turf Clubs board pf directors and master of Suzy-Q Ranch at Puente, died early this afternoon of a heart attack at his Los Angeles-residence. Details of Mr. Simmon seizure were not immediately available, but he was; known, to have been in apparent gpod health several days ago, for last Thursday he was in- the winners circle, at Hollywood Park to present jockey Johnny Longden a trophy commemorating the latter feat of having ridden his 4,000th winner. The first report of Simmons death came from his. brother-in-law, Dr., Grover Christensen, that he was not feeling well and returned to his, home for a rest. His personal doctor was Dr. Robert W. Langley. Simmons is survived by one son, Thomas W. Jr., and his widow, the former Mabel Crosland. His death followed by two months and one day that of president; George- P: Young of the Hollywood Turf club. Simmons has been prominent in Hollywood Park since the club was organized some 15 years ago. Two years ago he was elected to. the board, of directors of the California Thoroughbred Breedersf Association. The deceased bought Suzy-Q Ranch several, years ago, and developed it into a showplace. Hand collected, a band of 20: mares, all well bred and including such as Belle Amouri Dam of- Cover Up. and Belle Jolie, and only last year he acquired- several | fine race- mares, and retired them to the nursery, the-latter including Gallahue: and. Curds n Whey. Three years, ago-, in partnership with John DeBlois, Wack, he- bought from Calumet Farm the young stallion .Free- America. One of the. fastest horses bred by Simmons was the juvenile Glenbar,, who- scintillated at the recent Golden Gate Fields j meeting. Glenbar was a son of the- much ! publicized Taj Akbar, a horse requisitioned by the army remount and brought to the TJ. S. in 1946. The Jockey Club, refused to register Taj Akbar,. but the horses owner, Hartmann. Pauly, was standing him at Suzy-Q ranch three years ago. and while there the horse, an Aga Khan-bred, cov-1 ered one of Simmons mares. Pauly, by the way, was: naturalized as a citizen last month at San Francisco and is now a member of the TJ. S. Equestrian team en. route via Germany to the Olympic games at Helsinki. Ironically, Paulys fortune was lost when the Russian Army overran his Hungarian farm and then the TJ. S. Army seized his horses. He has sought repay- ment for his horses from the army, but without avail. j Simmons only son, Thomas W, Jr., is understood to be traveling in India, where, he has been, supervising installation, of pumping plants. Simmons major husiness interest of late years has been the manufacture and sale of pumps and pumping equipment, and he and his son have landed huge- contracts with foreign governments.
