Simon James Milde

Simon James Milde passed away peacefully at his home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on November 1, 2026, at the age of 80. He was surrounded by his beloved wife of 55 years, Pauline Diana Milde, and their three children, Benjamin, Tobias, and Chloe.

Simon was born at home on February 7, 1946, in Hertfordshire, England, to Raymond Otto Seaton Milde and Nora Margaret (“Peggy”) Milde.

He was educated at Blundell’s School in Devon and Regent Street Technical College in London, where he pursued his studies in surveying. He subsequently qualified as a Chartered Surveyor and became a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

In 1971, Simon married Pauline Diana Heward of Thaxted, England, beginning a remarkable 55-year partnership that would remain the foundation of his life.

Simon enjoyed a distinguished career in commercial real estate spanning nearly six decades, marked by entrepreneurial vision, determination, and an extraordinary ability to build enduring businesses. His career began in 1968 when he joined Jones Lang Wootton (JLW) at its London headquarters. He quickly rose to become a partner in the firm, and in 1977, he moved his young family to New York to help establish and expand JLW’s North American operations. Under Simon’s leadership, JLW USA grew from a single office in Midtown Manhattan into a leading national commercial real estate brokerage and advisory firm, with offices throughout the United States.

In 1991, Simon departed JLW to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions, embarking on a new chapter that would see him establish several successful and enduring enterprises.

He founded Greenwich Group International, a national commercial real estate brokerage and advisory firm. In 2001, he founded Terra Capital, a commercial real estate lending and structured finance business that would later become known as Mavik Capital. Finally, he founded Capital District Properties, a multifamily real estate development, management, and construction company now known as Richbell Capital.

These businesses, and the many people whose careers and opportunities were shaped by them, stand as a lasting testament to Simon’s vision, leadership, and determination. He took great pride in building companies, creating opportunities, and seeing the people and enterprises he helped establish continue to thrive.

Beyond his professional life, Simon was an avid reader with an enduring curiosity about the world and history. He loved running, drinking good wine, long walks with his dogs and few things made him happier than an afternoon sailing on Gardiners Bay with a cooler filled with cold beer and sandwiches. He had a period in the 1980’s and 1990’s when the Green Mountains of Vermont were his sanctuary away from New York, but he traded the mountains for the old whaling town of Sag Harbor in 2000. That would become the gathering place of his family and friends over the last few decades, and you could frequently find him and Pauline in the back corner table at the American Hotel with a plate of Oysters and a cold glass of Chablis. Although English by birth and upbringing, Simon embraced his adventure in his adopted country with enthusiasm and took enormous pride in becoming an American citizen.

Yet for all his professional accomplishments and personal interests, Simon’s greatest source of pride and happiness was his family. His marriage to Pauline was the defining partnership of his life, and the family they built together was his most cherished achievement.

Simon was predeceased by his sister, Anne Manderson (Christopher).

He is survived by his wife, Pauline Diana Milde; his sister, Susan Nichola Drake (Stephen); his three children, Benjamin Milde (Claiborne), Tobias Milde (Cara), and Chloe Rosenberg (Michael); and nine beloved grandchildren.

He leaves behind a legacy of enterprise, perseverance, curiosity, and devotion to family, and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.