Obituary of Raymond J. Simon

Canandaigua - Raymond J. Simon Raymond J. Simon, formerly of Olean, passed away peacefully on December 15, 2020 at the age of 94 at F.F. Thompson Hospital in Canandaigua, NY. Raymond was born on April 27, 1926 to Lebanese immigrant parents, Simon and Nseem Simon. On January 13, 1945, he married his wife of 64 years, the former Virginia Myers of Portville, NY, who predeceased him on August 3, 2009. Ray was a graduate of Olean High School and proudly served his country in the United States Army as a tank mechanic during World War II. He had a long career in the insurance industry, working for Prudential Insurance for many years. Ray worked until he was 85 at Southern Tier Realty and Insurance. He was a lifelong member of St. Joseph's Maronite Rite Church which was near and dear to his heart. Ray was a loving and devoted father and husband. He particularly loved his role as Papa to his grandchildren and great grandchildren and looked forward to their visits, always doling out the fun size candy bars. Ray had a vivacious personality and made friends everywhere he went. He loved regaling the family with stories of his childhood and youth. Ray was an avid gardener and loved all things Olean, St. Joseph's Church, his Lebanese heritage, the Buffalo Bills, the Bonnies and Little Debbie cakes. The day before he passed, he remarked how happy he was that the Bills would be in the playoffs. Ray was fortunate to retain a clear mind and sense of humor to the end, even embracing modern technology. He scanned, emailed, texted and did research on history, politics and medical issues, often surprising others with what he had learned. Raymond is survived by his children, Jeffrey (Eileen) of South Dartmouth, MA and Dawn Yehl (Patrick) of Canandaigua, five grandchildren- Katie Simon Brown (Mike) of Jersey City, NJ, Peter Yehl of Farmington, NY, Caitlin Kelley (Sean) of Rochester, NY, Lauren of Canandaigua, NY and Bryan of Rochester, NY and four great grandchildren- Cabrini, Cohen, Eden and Eleanor. He was the beloved uncle of many nieces and nephews. Raymond was predeceased by his brothers, Salem, Louis, and Kelly and his sister, Lila. All of these, he loved and touched deeply. There will be no visitation. A celebration of his life will be held in Olean when the weather is warm. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Joseph's Church at stjosepholean.org or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at stjude.org. Arrangements are under the direction of the Letro-McIntosh-Spink Funeral Home, Inc., 646 East State Street, Olean. Online condolences may be made at www.LetroMcIntoshSpinkFuneralHome.com