This is the post I hoped never to write.
My delightful, quirky & remarkable father, William Simon, passed away at the age of 84 on Sunday September 11th, 2022 at 9:01 AM. Taken from us quickly and ruthlessly by a Glioblastoma that came out of nowhere, my mother and I are beyond heartbroken.
But we also know how blessed & lucky we were to be loved by him — mom for 60 years, me for 52. Now it’s up to the universe to take care of him, and I can’t wait to see him in my dreams.
Here is the eulogy I gave at his funeral on September 14, 2022.
My father and I are very much alike. While I didn’t get his singing voice, we shared a middle name — my grandmother’s maiden name! — a nose, an understanding of how art + order must coexist, and his delightfully quirky sense of humor.
Many of you might remember that he would make up his own words & phrases and then giggle at himself for doing so. Just the other day, my cousin in law Caroline Laden said that she always felt there was some inner joke or monologues that he wasn’t sharing with us… as if something amusing was happening somewhere else, and he alone had access to it.
I always loved this about him, never more so than when I found myself doing it too. Last year, I got a new cozy blanket for my couch. I looked at it and said (out loud) “What a fuzzy knucker you are”. On our next daily FaceTime call I told him this and he laughed and laughed and laughed and looked so proud. But not surprised.
Always my father’s daughter.
I originally wrote this poem for his 80th birthday, just 4 short years ago, but I could think of no better way to honor him as we celebrate his life today.
I’ll always love you, Daddy.
You can’t be called a daddy’s girl
without the perfect father.
Mine is my hero.
My North Star.
My idol.
On the day of his birth,
(or some 80 years since)
I can think of no better way to honor
this Cheltenham prince
then to share who he is to me.
A man who loves without limit,
and is always there.
Who forgives no matter what
so you know how much he cares.
A man who celebrates your achievement
with beaming pride
yet can ease your battered soul
when life makes you cry.
A man who inspires greatness
wherever he goes,
this unstoppable creative tinkerer
delights all in both song and prose.
A man who respects his friends
and adores his family.
Who means so much to so many
that love his humor and vitality.
My father is my hero.
My North Star.
My idol.
Grateful and lucky, I’m honored to say
I’ll always be his daddy’s girl
Today, tomorrow and everyday.
