Life, art honored at wake

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Philip Simmons Services

The funeral for legendary blacksmith Philip Simmons was held at the Gaillard Auditorium Saturday and his wake was held Friday. The widely known and admired Charlestonian was honored for his many decades of work keeping the city's iron working tradition alive. He died Monday at age 97.

Philip Simmons' funeral is at 11 a.m. today at the Gaillard Auditorium, 77 Calhoun St., followed by a private burial at Sunset Memorial Garden. After the funeral, the procession will pass by Simmons' large gate at the Charleston Visitor Center, at Meeting and Ann streets, for those who want to gather there to pay tribute to him.

Philip Simmons was famous for his ironwork, but he was loved for his personality.

Hundreds of people who knew him, whether for a minute or a lifetime, attended his wake Friday night at Gaillard Municipal Auditorium in Charleston for one last look at his ever-smiling face, to touch the hands of the 97-year-old artisan and to say their farewells to a man with a big heart.

Bing Crosby's "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive" played in the background.

"He had a twinkle in the eye — sort of everybody's uncle," said author

John Michael Vlach, who wrote the book "Charleston Blacksmith" about Simmons and his artwork. "We've lost a great man and a caring personality."

Vlach, a professor of American studies and anthropology at George Washington University, traveled from Washington, D.C., for the wake, which was officially called a celebration.

Giant, black-and-white photographs of Simmons were on the walls. A live band played upbeat music. And in the lobby, a television showed interviews with Simmons.

In one scene, he sat with several children around him, and one asked him how he made money, back in the old days. He said he shined shoes at 5 cents apiece and sold newspapers.

Asked how white people treated him in his younger days, he grew serious for a moment.

"They treated me like what I was," he said, pausing. "An artist!" he said, and grinned.

White ribbons were tied on the banisters in Simmons' honor. Dozens of members of the Charleston Area Interdenominational Usher Council were there in their gleaming white uniforms. Simmons had served as president of the council for many years, and he wore white gloves in his casket Friday night.

"He was just a fine man," said council member Willie Mae Butler.

Council member Elizabeth King remembered serving Simmons when, in the 1960s, she was a waitress at Brook's restaurant on Morris Street.

"I was his special waitress," she said, grinning. "He wouldn't let nobody else serve him."

A few minutes later, the two women stood over his coffin, gently touched their hands to his breast and fought back their emotions.

Vlach remembers when he brought Simmons a proof copy of "Charleston Blacksmith" for review back in the 1970s. Simmons couldn't believe the author had written so much.

Vlach said he never expected that the elderly man would continue working, but he did. About 10 years later, Vlach wrote a second edition of the book. A third edition is in the works, he said.