Richard Andrew Simons (“Rich”) of Watertown, passed away at the age of 67 on May 19, 2018. A loving son, brother, uncle, friend and colleague, Rich was a kind, thoughtful, generous person who adored his family and friends and would drop everything to help the people he loved.
Rich had a remarkable thirst for knowledge and a wide-ranging curiosity about the world and about the people who were part of his. He was extremely close to his siblings and an unwavering support for his nieces and nephews, who he taught to drive, took to Red Sox games and always helped with problems large and small.
Rich was outgoing yet independent, intelligent yet unpretentious, opinionated but not judgmental. He spoke to his six year old nieces the same way he spoke to his friends and colleagues with compassion, inquisitiveness and joy. A ravenous reader and history buff, he was the unofficial all-purpose adviser for the extended Simons family, offering tips on everything from writing resumes to buying smartphones. Relatives described him as a “human Google” who retained a seemingly limitless amount of information about a wide variety of topics that included literature, food, sports and fine wine.
He was a considerate friend, an attentive listener and a meticulous organizer who, even after a cancer diagnosis, planned and embarked on a weeklong trip to Spain with his sisters this past summer. A passionate cook, he coordinated his family’s annual Passover celebration, creating intricate spreadsheets to stay on top of grocery lists and oven schedules.
Rich was born to Sam and Shirley Simons on May 5, 1951 in Bedford, Massachusetts. He graduated from Belmont Hill School in 1969. He received a bachelor’s degree in English from Stanford University in 1974, and then a master’s degree in English literature from Harvard University in 1976.
He worked as at Putnam Investments in Boston from 1987 to 2004, as Manager of Documentation and Information. He retired at the age of 53.
He is survived by his brother Kenneth Simons of Irvine, California; his two sisters Lee Ann Michelson of Boston and Jean Simons of Washington D.C.; seven nieces and nephews; and a tight-knit community of friends.
The family has designated Doctors Without Borders for memorial contributions.
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