John Edward Simon Sr.

John Simon was one of 4 children born to the late John and Mary (Loy) Simon. John actively served in the U.S. Navy from 1951-1955 during the Korean War aboard the USS Princeton and as a reserve until 1959. Prior to joining the Navy, he worked at Poulakos Bakery in Youngstown, Ohio. Afterwards, John worked for the U.S. Postal Service until he retired in 1990 and moved to Florida

John was a parishioner at St. Catherine of Siena in Largo, FL. He is preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Antoinette Traino Simon, of Largo, Fl, his sister, Barbara Smith and brother, William Simon. He leaves behind his younger brother, Richard Simon, and three children, John and Renee (Timko) Simon of Youngstown, Ohio; Karen Simon and (Jennifer Averill) of Winston-Salem, NC and Cindy (Simon) and Scott Van Ert of Tampa, FL. John also leaves behind six beautiful grandchildren, Brittany, Johnny, Ryan, Shayly, Nicolas and Gianna, and 4 great grandchildren, Enzo, Elijah, Hunter and Kendal.

As a young boy, John spent time in his dad’s bakery, Simon’s Bakery. He loved the outdoors and spent his teenage years with his buddies at Mill Creek Park. As an adult, he took great pride in taking care of his house, lawn, flowers and vegetable garden in Youngstown and later in Largo. John was a big railfan and loved his trains, almost as much as he loved eating at Perkins restaurant. He was “Norm” at the Perkins in Clearwater, and when they saw John coming, the staff would have his booth and coffee ready. He took great joy when his children and grandchildren visited him, and he made sure to leave them with a laugh. John was a funny person, sharp as a whip and would give the shirt off his back if you asked. He had an incredible memory, remembering dates and times like it was yesterday. He lived a lifetime of quiet strength and hard work that helped shape his strong will. As John aged, his memory stayed strong while his body needed rest. John was dearly loved by his family, and he will be forever missed but never forgotten.

A special thank you to his Empath Hospice of Pinellas County, his healthcare workers from Home Instead and his neighbor, Dennis, for helping our family take such good care of dad in his final months.

Services will be private for immediate only.