Charles Gregory Simon

Charles was the only son of Richard and Joanne Simon of Bakersfield. He attended East Bakersfield High School, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree at USC, an MBA in Finance degree from USC, and a Master of Divinity in Theology degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. He also was a Certified Public Accountant.

Charles worked in the corporate headquarters of Continental Telephone, Southern California Gas, and Tetra Tech Engineering. Then he joined Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena and contributed to several major space flight programs. He was the Financial Manager of the Space Infrared Telescope Facility, which later was renamed the Spitzer Space Telescope. This solar orbiting telescope looked backwards into space billions of light years via the infrared range to study the origins of our universe. The science returned by this telescope expanded our knowledge about how stars and planets formed; the existence of exoplanets, black holes, and brown dwarfs; the vast size and parameters of our universe (far larger than previously believed); and the age of our universe (much older than previously thought).

Charles celebrated life by dancing frequently, driving his car with the top down, and traveling extensively through foreign countries. After spending innumerable weekends in Santa Barbara for many years, Charles fulfilled a life-long goal of relocating to that city and living out his life there.

Charles' parents predeceased him, as did his uncle and aunt, Donald Simon and Lois Simon, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Charles leaves a cousin, Barbara June Simon, of Passaic, New Jersey.