SIMON, James “Jim” Richard, Commander, United States Navy – Retired, age 74 was born September 5, 1940 in Rosemont, WV. Jim was a patient at Baylor’s Congestive Heart Failure Clinic in Dallas, and on March 5th of this year he was the recipient of a heart pump (Left Ventricle Assist Device/LVAD) called Heart Ware©. He died May 4, 2015 at Baylor Hospital (Select Specialty Hospital) after a courageous fight to overcome complications which occurred as a result of this surgery
Jim was born in a home built by his father, Stephen Richard Simon, and even though he left West Virginia as a young man, he continued to return to this home on a regular basis until the death of his mother, Fern Lee Rogers Simon, a few years ago. The community where he was born, the school he attended, and the church where he worshiped, all helped to form the extraordinary man he became. Both parents influenced him greatly in the quest for knowledge; his reverence of church, family and community; and, the wonders of this earth. However, he undoubtedly learned at the knees of his mother, Fern. As a child, Jim learned from her to recite poetry and passages from great books. One of his favorites was Kipling’s “When Earth’s Last Picture is Painted.” This poem was read at his funeral by long- time friend, Peter Trump of Cherry Hill, NJ.
Jim was a brilliant student in and out of the classroom and was gifted in both the arts and sciences. In addition to scholastic achievements, he was also an accomplished singer and musician playing the Saxophone, piano and organ. As a young man he performed professionally in a rockabilly band called, THE FLAMES. One of the band members, Mayf Nutter, went on to some level of fame becoming the youngest honoree in the Nashville Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Although he loved rock-n-roll, the music which influenced Jim the most was the music of his church and the music his mother played on the piano at home. As a young teen he spent summers with family in New Jersey where baseball great Yogi Berra was a neighbor. Jim loved to tell stories of the times he was Yogi’s caddie.
Jim graduated from Flemington High School as Valedictorian of his class and was knighted by the Governor of the State of West Virginia as a KNIGHT OF THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE. After high school he joined the U.S. Navy and was trained as an Electronics Technician and performed with the Navy’s Blue Jacket Choir. While serving on board the USS Roy O. Hale, DER-336, Seaward Extension of the Distant Early Warning Line, he participated in Cuba’s Bay of Pigs crisis. During this time he earned the Navy Good Conduct Medal with two stars. As a result of his high achievements as a sailor, he was recommended and selected for Naval Enlisted Scientific Education Program (NESEP) and attended North Carolina State University where he received his Bachelors and Masters in Electronics Systems Engineering, with honors. He continued to Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Newport, R.I. where he was commissioned an officer in the U.S. Navy. He was a plankowner for the new construction and operational qualifications of the USS Biddle (CG-34), also DLG-34, a Belknap-class guided missile cruiser of the United States Navy, and deployed on that ship to Vietnam where he was stationed in the Haiphong Harbor, North Vietnam, as Electronics Warfare Officer and Combat Systems Evaluator for PIRAZ (positive identification radar advisory zone), for which he was the recipient of many medals including the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V, Southwest Asian Combat Medal with two stars, and the Presidential Unit Commendation Medal. Following his tours in Vietnam he returned to North Carolina State University to earn a PhD in Electrical Engineering and then completed Surface Warfare Officers School in Newport, RI. Some of his other naval career highlights include: Established of the Fleet Support Office for Naval Electronic Systems Engineering Center/Charleston, SC; Executive Officer and Fleet Support Department Head and Combat Systems Superintendent for Philadelphia Naval Shipyard; and, Director of Navy Field Office for classified procurements.
After retiring as a Commander with the U.S. Navy, Jim started a second engineering career in the private sector in executive level roles of Systems Engineering Research and Development and in the procurement of major defense contracts for The Boeing Company and SAIC, Inc. While working for The Boeing Company, Jim led the design of the electronic warfare system for the AWACs airplane and was part of the NATO alliance to commission and build this airplane. While working at Boeing he met a colleague named Janie (Jones), they were married May 29, 1994 at the Naval Chapel in Washington, DC.
Following Jim’s retirement, he and his wife relocated from the Washington, DC area to North Texas. They loved to travel to the Hawaiian Islands and Vienna, Austria, and they were especially fond of taking road trips. Jim and Janie regularly entertained in their book and music filled home which was known as a place of refuge for many friends and family. Theirs was a home where love abound and good food and great conversation was valued and plentiful. Jim loved nothing more than to sit at his table and have discussions about a wide variety of topics. Everyone who knew him would begin their description of him as “the most intelligent person I’ve ever met,” but they would also tell you that Jim’s intelligence didn’t define him. In both his military and private sector careers he was known as one who commanded respect rather than demand it. Said business associate and friend, “Jim always had a good career-life balance. He knew a lot about a lot of subjects and he shared his knowledge with enthusiasm and reverence for the wonders of the universe. He was always a student of life – the best student of life I ever met.”
Jim was a botanist; philatelist; numismatist; lepidopterist; deltiologist; bibliophilist; genealogist researcher; and, musician and lover of nature. He collected moments in life such as travels, friends, plant specimens and insects. He was never without a difficult Suduko or NY Times Crossword Puzzle to solve. He loved to talk about where he grew up and the interesting people he met along his life journey. He was humble above all else and did not boast or glorify himself to others. He was always the center of the room without being the center of attraction. He meet everyone with an open smile and could converse with young and old in a way that made them feel special, and when they parted they had some fascinating bit of information that they did not even realize he had planted in their head. He was modest of his military and professional accomplishments. He more proud that he could identify every plant he encountered and he knew the genus in Latin; or that he spoke and read multiple languages, or that he could map out the sky by the stars. He would rather be known as the man you would find on his belly in the middle of a forest examining a plant or trying to catch a colorful moth then for any of the accomplishments of his successful military and private sector careers.
As his health began to decline Jim, ever the proud man, was gracious in his acceptance of caretaking – never complained and always showed patience and gratitude to his wife who cared for him at home, and during his extensive stay at Baylor Dallas, where she never left his side. He became a staff favorite of hospital staff with his pleasant and tender ways and his quick smile. Even in the midst of his pain and struggle for sustained healing, he was someone others’ took instant liking to
Jim nurtured relationships with his family and friends and they were woven tightly in the beautiful fabric of his rich life. Those who deeply feel his absence include his companion of 23 years, wife Janie, and their beloved cats, Bailey and Rosie. His sister, Mary Frances “Francie” Simon Morris, of Kingsport, TN, whom he loved so much and who he called for many times during his time of emotional need while in the hospital. He was blessed to be the godfather to Denise Robinson Bergstrom, of West Linn, OR and to have the lifelong friendship of her parents, Dr. Andrew and Mrs. Mary Ann Robinson and their other children who he and was so proud of (Dr. Christine, Andrew, Maria, John, Michael and James). In his friendship with Bob “Quail” White, he met his intellectual and inquisitive match and their verbal bantering and storytelling was one of legends. He admired Peter Trump and Arthur Van Nostrand, two men whose friendship spanned decades and they shared many life events; and, he maintained close ties to the Commissioning Officers of the USS Biddle. Kember Dollarhide, his fiery red-headed little friend, whom he took under his wing when she was a young woman, brought such joy to him and much music and laughter. He will be missed by members of his weekly meet—up groups; The Mad Scientists, and the ROMEOS (which stands for Retired Old Men Eating Out). He made loving and faithful friends while in Dallas including Denis and Teri Knetchly, Paul Strickland, Paul Spero (proceeded him in death) and Bob Snodgrass. In addition to his wife, Janie, Jim is survived by nephew Albert Louis Simon of Huntington, WV and sister-in-law Lima Jo Jones Simon of Rosemont, WV; sister Mary Frances Simon Morris and Dr. Lawrence Morris (Kingsport, TN) and their daughters Wendy Lyons (Larry and Alexis), Janice Claytor (Robbie, Linden and Weston) and Stacy Morris (Chris). Father and mother in law, Kenneth D. and Carolyn Sue Jones of Riverside, VA. Brother in law and wife, Keith and Julie Jones, Dallas, TX. Sister in law Kenna Ann Jones Sandborn (Dr. William Sandborn) of La Jolla Village, CA. Uncle, General Henry “Hank” Simon, United States Air Force Retired of Chrystal River, FL.
Jim was laid to rest at the IOOF Cemetery in Rosemont, WV on May 10th – Mother’s Day. His service was a celebration of the gifts that Jim’s life brought to his family and friends and was held in the Bailey Memorial Methodist Church, the church he grew up and in attendance were people he’d known since birth, and those he had served with in Vietnam and during his long career in the navy and private sector.
A memorial service concert will be held on August 23rd at 6 p.m. in the Richardson Church of the Nazarene, Richardson, Texas. This gospel concert will be performed by Jim’s friends, many who have performed on stage at the Grapevine Opry. The concert is free to the public… and all are welcome.

“Now cracks a noble heart. Good-night, sweet prince;
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. ”