Martha Laura Nicolaus Simmons died peacefully at her residence at the Gatesworth in St. Louis on Thursday, July 14, 2011.

Born in 1914, she was the only child of Louis J. Nicolaus and Jane Adger Nicolaus. She is survived by two daughters, Jane S. Bickford of Saranac Lake, New York and Susan S. Phillips and her husband, Blaine T. Phillips of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania; five grandchildren, John Cella, Louis Cella and Harriet Marshall of St. Louis, Louis Bickford of Brooklyn, New York and Elisabeth Bickford Wells of Burlington, Vermont; and twelve great-grandchildren.

Martha's grandfather founded the investment firm of Stifel Nicolaus, and her father was its CEO until he passed away in 1971. While traveling abroad with her father and mother when she was 11 years old, Martha's mother died suddenly from pneumonia. Martha was then reared in St. Louis by her father. Martha attended John Burroughs School in St. Louis, Westover School in Middlebury, Connecticut and Mademoiselle Boissiers, a finishing school in Paris, France.

In 1938, she married Theodore Middleton Simmons of New Orleans, Louisiana. They moved permanently to St. Louis after World War II, where she remained for the rest of her life. Her husband passed away in 1967. Having traveled extensively with her father when she was a child, and then later with her husband and two children, Martha had a passion for exploring the world which led her to become involved with Sante Travel. There she developed the then innovative idea of taking group tours on specialty trips.

Some examples of the trips she created and organized were to England for the St. Louis Art Museum to look at decorative arts at various manor houses, to East Africa on photographic safaris for the St. Louis Zoo, and to New York theaters for various non-profit organizations. Being an experienced traveler, these trips were as much fun as they were work.

Martha had a wide circle of friends whom she loved to entertain and was known for the festive dinner parties which included people of all ages.

Services: The Funeral Service will be conducted at the Episcopal Church of St. Michael and St. George, 6345 Wydown at Ellenwood, Clayton, on Tuesday, July 19 at 10:30 a.m. Private interment.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to remember Martha may make a donation to either Tower Grove Park, 4256 Magnolia, St. Louis, MO 63110 or to the charity of one's choice.

A service of THE LUPTON CHAPEL.