Obituary of John Charles Simon

John “Jack” Charles Simon, 82, of Maplewood, MN, passed away peacefully at the Estates of Roseville surrounded by loved ones on September 12, 2024.

He was born in Saint Paul in 1941 to Joseph Simon and Edna Werneke Simon. John attended North St Paul High school before joining the Navy where he served 20 years from 1959 to 1979.  He traveled the world and was stationed at many places including Diego Garcia, Treasure Island in San Francisco, Adak, Alaska, and Okinawa, Japan. He also served in the Vietnam War.  After being honorably discharged from the Navy he worked as a crane operator on Mare Island in Vallejo, CA.  He also had a long career at the United States Postal Office retiring in the early 2000s.  John enjoyed going camping, fishing, grilling, bonfires and took pride in keeping a well-maintained yard. He volunteered at the Veterans Family Camping as well as teaching young Eagle Scouts in the North Saint Paul and White Bear Lake community.

John will always be remembered for his quirky humor and the way that he enjoyed sweets of all kinds. He enjoyed spending time with his family, especially holidays and watching the yule log. He would always sit outside on the steps to send us off after a fun evening of appetizers, drinks and laughs. He loved his children and grandchildren dearly, he set aside special time to spend with them and always called on all the important dates.  He enjoyed taking long drives and looking at how much the world had changed since he was young.  He loved sharing life experiences and stories with his family; it was his way to pass down a long line of wisdom. 

We could not have asked for a better Father and grandfather. We will miss hearing him say “Just Ducky” with that sparkle in his eyes.  His memory will live on in the hearts of all those who loved him.  

John was preceded in death by his brothers James Simon and Donald Simon and is survived by sister Lorlee Hansel, his children Hannah (Justin) Preuss, Joseph (Nicole) Simon and his grandchildren Caleb, Etsuko and Asher along with many nieces, nephews, other relatives and loving friends.  

Celebration of Life will be held at the American Legion in North St. Paul on Thursday, October 3^rd from 5:00pm to 8:00pm.