William Jennings Bryan (Schim) Schimfessel |
| Posted 2009-12-08 by Judy Wight Branson |
| The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona Wednesday, January 8, 2003 William Jennings Bryan Schimfessel died at La Villita Assisted Living Facility in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, January 4, 2003, at the age of 94. Bryan, or "Schim", as he was known to his friends, was born in Clay City, Kentucky, on April 12, 1908, to Cliff and Pinkie Hall Schimfessel. He graduated from Clay City High School in 1926 and attended the Clay City Methodist Church. Bryan worked with his father in general merchandising in Clay City before following his Vaughn cousins to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1928. He was baptized into the Catholic faith at St. Mary's Parish in 1931 and married Mary Margaret Schultz in July 1933. She was the joy of his life until her death in 1999. They lived on Virginia Avenue in Phoenix for 66 years. They were devout Catholics and supporters of Catholic charities and volunteer organizations. Bryan attended Lamson Business College in the early 1930's and was the assistant manager of the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce. In 1942, while serving as assistant manager of the Chamber, he was named the first Executive Secretary of the Citizen's Good Government Council, the organization which preceded the Charter Government in Phoenix. In 1942 he directed the City Campaign which changed the Administration in Phoenix City Government. Bryan joined the U.S. Army during World War II and was honorably discharged in 1945. He then served the Phoenix Post-War Planning Commission. He was active in Arizona and national politics and received letters of appreciation from Franklin D. Roosevelt and Barry Goldwater, among other notable politicians. In 1946 he became the Executive Vice President of the Arizona Association of Realtors and Executive Director of the Phoenix Real Estate Board, Inc. He was a leader in the development of the Phoenix Multiple Listing Service (MLS), one of the first in the country. He served as Secretary-Treasurer of the MLS, a branch of the Phoenix Real Estate Board, Inc. In 1954 he headed the City Charter Sales Tax campaign in order to avert a 44% increase in property taxes. The citizens voted 3 to 1 in favor of the sales tax. Schim served several terms as Regional Vice President of the Executive Officers Council of the National Association of Real Estate Boards (NAREB). In 1960 he served as National President of the Executive Officers Council. In 1962 he was instrumental in heading a campaign to amend the Arizona Constitution to allow Realtors to develop real estate contracts without unnecessary legal expenses (Proposition 103). The campaign resulted in over 100,000 petitions and was successful in development of Amendment 26 of the Arizona Constitution. He also wrote "Mirror of Justice" and "You Asked the Question", books on real estate ethics for real estate brokers and was considered an expert in the field of real estate ethics. He retired from the Phoenix Real Estate Board as Executive Director in 1973. He enjoyed the study of family history during his retirement years. Bryan was a member of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church and was a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was preceded in death by his wife, brother and five sisters. He is survived by several nieces, as well as many great and great-great-nephews and nieces. He will be buried beside his wife at Holy Cross Cemetery in Avondale, Arizona, on Thursday, January 9, 2003 at 10:00 a.m. Arrangements entrusted to Whitney & Murphy Arcadia Funeral Home. Courtesy of Pat Wilson |
Note: These obituaries are transcribed as published and are submitted by volunteers who have no connection to the families. They do not write the obituaries and have no further information other than what is posted within the obituaries. We do not do personal research. For this you would have to find a volunteer who does this or hire a professional researcher.
Questions About This Project?