Lieutenant Colonel Jesse Simon

Lieutenant Colonel Jesse Simon, beloved father and grandfather, died peacefully at the age of 95 on Saturday, October 4, in Austin, Texas. Jesse was born on June 13, 1913 in Cherokee Oklahoma to Harry Cleveland and Alma Ford Simon. He graduated from Cherokee High School in 1930, where he played football and joined the ROTC. He married Madge Simonson (deceased) in 1933 and they had two sons together, Pete Simon (deceased) and Jim Simon. He received a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1934, where he helped design, build and operate the OU radio station. Upon receiving his Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering in 1935, he enrolled in Princeton University, where he attended Albert Einstein's seminars on the mathematics of relativity, was granted a Top Secret security clearance, and accepted a position as a senior engineer with Bell Laboratories in New Jersey. He married Mary Frances Mobley (deceased) in 1955 in Whippany, New Jersey, and they had son Stephen Simon in 1956. Jesse entered the United States Air Force in 1930, and fought in World War II, later returning stateside where he trained women pilots and met Amelia Earhart. He served in the Reserves until his retirement in 1963, whereupon he accepted the position of senior engineer for the Nike Zeus Air Missile Defense System. During the time he worked at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, he met President John F. Kennedy and published scientific articles in Popular Mechanics and Electrical Engineer. Jesse enjoyed a long and extraordinary life of adventures and accomplishments, witnessing history, travelling widely and holding many patents. He was a proud and devoted grandfather to his granddaughters Rhyne Simon of Houston, Texas and Remi Simon of Austin, Texas, and loving father to his son Stephen Simon and daughter-in-law, Piper Simon with whom he has lived for the last twelve years. A private memorial service was held at Fort Bliss National Cemetery with a military honor guard procession on Friday, October 10, 2008.