Grace Simon

Grace Simon, 92, passed away peacefully at her home at The Springs of Tanasbourne in Hillsboro OR. She was preceded in death by her husband, Virgil and leaves behind her children Stephen (Carol) of Spokane WA, Kate and John of Portland OR and Sherry (Charlie) of Eureka Springs AR, two grandchildren, Paul (Jules) of Frisco TX and Matt (Julie) of Fort Mill SC, two great granddaughters, Riley and Skyler of Fort Mill SC, a sister, Kate of Seattle WA and many beloved nieces and nephews.

She was born April 19, 1926 in Munising MI and raised in Portland OR. She was a proud sister of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority at Oregon State University, and it was on a blind date at OSU that she met her future husband. They married on June 15, 1947 and remained inseparable until Virgil’s death in 2007.

Grace was an avid gardener, loved the Oregon coast and enjoyed painting and arts and crafts. She retired from Safeco Insurance Company after re-entering the workforce when her youngest child started junior high school. She cherished hosting large extended family gatherings for any occasion, and she and Virgil maintained a backyard sanctuary for all in attendance to appreciate. She was fiercely proud of her Viking roots and lovingly passed down Norwegian family traditions to her children and grandchildren. Grace was devoted to family and friends and will always be remembered for her quick wit and sense of humor.

Her children wish to extend their gratitude to the staff at The Springs of Tanasbourne for their exceptional caring and friendship provided to their mother. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 23 at 3:00 at the chapel at The Springs of Tanasbourne at 1950 NW 192nd Avenue, Hillsboro OR 97006.

Grace's passion and love for the Oregon Zoo was an inspiration to her family and everyone who knew her. To honor such a beautiful and generous lady we could think of no better way than to make a donation to the Oregon Zoo foundation in Grace Simon's honor.

To donate online, please go to www.oregonzoo.org and click on the Donate Now button on the right. Then hit “Make a Gift Now.” Select “Annual Fund” and then enter in the donation amount. Select “In Memory Of” and hit continue. You will then enter in “Grace Simon” and “[email protected] for notification. A personal message may also be entered in at this time. After this you can continue to check out.

To donate by mail:

Make you sure you indicate in the memorial line that the gift is in honor of Grace Simon and mail the check made payable to the “Oregon Zoo Foundation” to:

4001 SW Canyon Road

Portland, Oregon 97221

Please sign the online guestbook, view photos and leave condolence messages for the family at www.skylinememorialgardens.com for the Simon family.