Albert Simmons was born as Alessandro Repcine on July 16, 1909, near Chernovy (Czernowitz) in the Bukovina province of Romania. This was part of Austria at the time, but became Romania after WWI. He was the first of nine children born to Margareta and Metro Repcine.

His mother, Margareta, decided to leave Romania and follow her brother, Nick, to Canada. So, in the spring of 1910, thirty-year-old Metro, his twenty-four-year-old wife and their one-year-old son landed in Halifax. Upon entering Canada, Metro Repcine's last name was mistakenly changed to Rybczuk and Margareta became Marguerite. Metro's brother-in-law, Nick Semennic, had his name altered by Canada Immigration a year before; he became Nick Siminuik.

Once they arrived in Canada they were offered a quarter section of land in Alberta for $300. Instead of joining Nick in Hamilton, they decided to homestead the land for 8 years, after which time they could sell the property.

Upon arrival in Edmonton they bought two horses, a wagon and supplies, and headed to their new property 60 miles northeast, near the small town of Veillette (now Smoky Lake)-an area where a lot of Eastern European immigrants were settled. Metro made that same two day journey back to Edmonton several times a year to purchase provisions and building materials. Their first winter must have been quite a hardship, and they probably wouldn't have survived had it not been for the assistance of their new neighbours.

During the next eight years they cut down trees, cleared stones, built a log house and a barn, raised animals, grew a big vegetable garden, harvested wheat, oats and corn - and had four more children.

They became Canadian citizens in Edmonton on June 27, 1914, and in 1918 they moved to the town of Vegerville, Alberta where Al's mom opened a restaurant called The Keg. She was an excellent cook and business was good because the CN Railroad had just arrived in town. Another baby arrived as well.

In 1925 they sold the restaurant and loaded their belongings onto a train. The mom, dad and 6 kids moved to Ontario to be closer to Marguerite's brother, Nick, in Hamilton. Once again their name was changed; this time Rybczuk became Repchuk. They bought a farm in Villa Nova, which was 65 kilometres southwest of Hamilton. Marguerite would soon give birth to her last two children, Bill and Doris. Her brother, Nick Siminuik, had changed his name to Simmons, and was now working for the City of Hamilton as a bricklayer on the city streets. He was also the cantor for the Romanian Orthodox Church. His nieces and nephews called him 'Uncle Simmons' and he was a real father figure to them all.

Every now and then, if Al had the money, he would find a way to get to Hamilton and see the latest Tom Mix movie. Mix was a star during the silent movie era. He was a gentleman cowboy known for his daring stunts, and he was young Al's hero.

When he was 17, Al left the farm and went to seek his fortune in Detroit, where he fired drinking glasses and jars in the Dominion Glass ovens. He once came home for a visit wearing a new suit and smoking a fat cigar; he enjoyed being a "Big Shot". He took a picture of the family with his new camera, but his family was most impressed by his silk pyjamas.

At 18 years old he went to Chicago and then to New York, where he was the manager of a soda fountain in Times Square, and once served movie-star Ginger Rogers an orange float. He saw as many vaudeville shows as he could and even danced in a chorus line. As a stagehand for Blackstone the Magician, his job was looking after the horse that Blackstone vanished during his show.

During the 1930's finding a job got tough, so he headed back to Hamilton to work as a waiter in a restaurant alongside his brother. He moved in with his Aunt Veronica and Uncle Nick Simmons, and Al changed his last name to Simmons.

At the age of 28 Al became a Fuller Brush salesman. He developed many techniques to increase his sales and soon became the top salesman in the region. Al decided that he would never work for someone else again. He wanted to be his own boss so he moved to Winnipeg to once again seek his fortune.

His plans were foiled by the onset of World War II. He joined the army and became a Sergeant in the Winnipeg Light Infantry.

Al married Jeanie Dunn on October 14, 1944. Their daughter Elizabeth was born in 1946, followed soon after by sons Albert and Robert.

After the war he started his own magazine sales company, Consolidated Press. In the late 50's he became director of sales for Manitoba and Northwest Ontario for the Maclean Hunter Publishing Company.

He was a charismatic man and the life of every party, making sure that everyone was comfortable and at ease. A few of his well-placed jokes and stories broke any icy situation. No matter where he was, he would approach total strangers and carry on a conversation with them as if they were old friends. By the time they said good-bye they would be friends.

Sunday was his one day-off a week, and he was usually up by 5 a.m. to start making enough homemade soup to last until Friday. The rest of the day was spent making snowmen and forts in the yard, or chesterfield-cushion-castles in the living room. He would lie on the living room floor and let his children climb on him and tickle him. He claimed that during the war he was trained not to be ticklish, so the enemy couldn't get information out of him. No matter how hard they tried, they could never make him laugh. He would get the kids to tie him up with rope and cover him with a blanket so he could do his Houdini escape trick while he played his harmonica, "With no hands!" He loved re-enacting his favourite vaudeville routines, and everyone would howl with laughter as he apparently shrunk and stretched his rubbery arms and face, or appeared to walk headfirst into cupboard doors. He would hide behind a door jam and stick his head out periodically at different levels to surprise his unsuspecting audience and inevitably be forced to fight off his own hand as it attacked him from beyond the wall.

He knew and was respected by a lot of folks, and belonged to many community organizations. He was actively involved in community service, and volunteered his time for The March of Dimes, Canadian National Institute for the Blind, and the Christmas Cheer Board. A showman at heart, he performed in fundraising Skit Nights, and often found himself at special events surrounded by adoring underprivileged children, especially in December when he dressed as his alter ego, Santa Claus.

He joined the Lion's Club in 1940, and from 1949 to 1967 was secretary-treasurer for the Midwest Region Lions Club of Canada and the U.S. He was proud of the fact that he had perfect attendance. He did not miss one weekly meeting in 27 years.

In 1941 his branch of the Lion's Club decided to sponsor an Air Cadet Squadron and he assisted in the formation of number 6 Jim Whitecross Squadron - the first Air Cadet Squadron in Winnipeg. In 1953 he helped form number 573 Ukrainian Squadron. He was the secretary-treasurer of The Air Cadet League of Manitoba from 1946 through 1949, and 1953 through 1964. He took on the roll of Provincial Chairman for 1965, 1967 and 1968. The National Air Cadet League selected him as the Director of the Year in 1957.

In 1964 Mayor Stephen Juba presented Al with the City of Winnipeg Community Service Award (#153) for outstanding leadership in the field of Community Service.

Al was a community minded citizen, and a caring, loving father and husband. He died on May 6, 1969, at the young age of 59.