Textile salesman Maurice Simon, 99, dies
MAURICE SIMON, JR passed away at the age of 99 on December 29, 2023. He was 99.
He is survived by his children Cheryl Simon and Marc Simon, and one grandchild. He was predeceased by his first wife, Helen Heyman Simon, the mother of his children, and his second wife, Jane Collins Simon of Tupelo, Mississippi, who passed away in July of 2022.
MAURICE SIMON, JR.
Simon graduated from Fortier High School and attended Tulane University. He proudly served in World War II in the Army, and was part of the Asiatic-Pacific campaign, receiving a Bronze star for helping to build the Burma Road. He followed in his father’s footsteps and began a long career as a senior sales representative in the textile industry, working for national companies such as Burlington Industries and Klopman Mills. He also enjoyed investing in real estate, helping to design and manage a number of rental properties in New Orleans, as well as in Orange Beach, Alabama where he and Jane had a second home.
In addition to being an avid golfer most of his life, Simon was a talented artist and model maker. He fell in love with the Art Deco hotel architecture in South Florida and would create from scratch beautiful wall installations of the famous hotel facades. He also created to-scale replicas of many iconic New Orleans sites such as St. Louis Cathedral and the Lakefront Lighthouse. Maurice loved travelling and discovering new restaurants, and experiences all over the world. He was a great dancer who loved to party with family and friends and never lost his wry and dry sense of humor. Maurice especially enjoyed telling people that his grandson, Blake, worked for both the Saints and the Pelicans.
He is survived by his children Cheryl Simon and Marc Simon, and one grandchild. He was predeceased by his first wife, Helen Heyman Simon, the mother of his children, and his second wife, Jane Collins Simon of Tupelo, Mississippi, who passed away in July of 2022.
A private burial will be held at Hebrew Rest Cemetery III on January 12, 2024. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Humane Society of New Orleans (www.humaneneworleans.org).
