Joseph S. SIMON

Joseph S. Simon, 87, passed away on May 22, 2012, at Marjorie P. Lee Retirement Community where he resided for 8 years. He was born on September 7, 1924 to Dr. Frank and Mary (Chapman) Simon in Middletown, Ohio. His beloved father was a famous musician and conductor who played solo cornet in the John Philip Sousa Band. Dr. Simon went on to found the ARMCO Steel Band in Middletown and his sons frequently traveled with him on his many band events. Mr. Simon said recently, "I had a wonderful childhood with my mom and pop." Upon graduating from Middletown High School where he was an all-star athlete, Mr. Simon entered the U.S. Army and joined the Air Corp. He served stateside as the war was quickly ending overseas. A lifelong aviation enthusiast, he purchased his own small plane which he enjoyed flying for many years. Mr. Simon was a natural salesman and pursued sales and sales management positions during his working career. His young adult life was spent in Mason City, Iowa. Leisure activities included fishing, especially in Canada and the north woods of Minnesota with his "pop," his brother David and his own sons. He also enjoyed hunting pheasant in the corn fields of Iowa with his springer spaniel, Snuffy. Later he moved to Cincinnati where he indulged his other passions, playing bridge and following sports. He faithfully rooted for the Cincinnati teams-the Reds and the Bengals. He lived and died with their successes and failures, often coaching through the TV to no avail. Mr. Simon married and later divorced. He is survived by his brother, Dr. David L. Simon of Cincinnati; five children: Lynne (Raymond) Ploetz of Hanover, MN; Ruth (John) Reid of Jackson, WY; Caren (Paul) Umbarger of Palm Coast, FL; Dr. Peter S. (Pam) Simon of Camarillo, CA; and John D. (Teri) Simon of Duluth, GA. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. A dog lover all his life, his beloved springer and cocker spaniels pre-deceased him. Mr. Simon will have a private family memorial and burial at Riverview Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio where his parents are laid to rest. There will be a memorial reception in his memory in the Shaw Lobby at Marjorie P. Lee, 3550 Shaw Avenue, Cincinnati, on Saturday, June 2, from 10:00 am until 11:30 am, to which the public is invited. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Joseph Simon's name to: The Good Samaritan Mission of MPL, 3870 Virginia Avenue, Cincinnati OH 45227.

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Joseph S. SIMON

May 22, 2012