Funeral Details

Mae Simon, 1928-2024

The incomparable Mae Levy Simon passed away on March 26, 2024, just short of her 96th birthday.

She was a woman of style and substance, an epicurean who saw beauty in the world and curated it in her home. She collected art and jewelry and believed that dressing well was a recipe for living well. Mae was strong and independent, with an unshakeable sense of self, and she pursued her passions with dedication.

Born on April 8, 1928, in Chicago, she graduated from South Shore H.S. and later earned several degrees in education. Intelligent and independent, she embarked upon a lifetime of teaching and learning, serving in the Chicago Public School system as a teacher, counselor, and finally, as a principal. Upon retirement she continued to learn, as a docent at the Field Museum and the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures.

Mae was an avid traveler with a taste for adventure and a desire to see the world, eventually visiting all 7 continents. From riding alpacas in South America, white-water rafting in Costa Rica, viewing penguins in Antarctica, and hiking up Masada, to spending time with her family in Israel, she was always on a quest for new memories and experiences.

But for all her accomplishments and passions, she was happiest in the role of mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother—or “Bubby,” as she was known to many who loved her. She was a centripetal force, with the ability to bring her family together from around the world and to keep everyone connected. A true matriarch, Mae often, and proudly, proclaimed that she had the best kids and the best family.

While these remembrances honor her adult life, we want to pay homage to the whole of her—to the woman who was smart, confident, and up to no good long before her children had the opportunity to meet her. To the child with soft dark curls and a mischievous smile; to the 16-year-old who snuck away to Lake Geneva with her cousin Helen to try her first cocktail (the “pink lady”); to the young flirt who flaunted her “long legs” (her words) at the beach; to the girl who met her future husband at a dance for returning WW2 vets; and finally, to the young mother whose deep love is now manifest in her sons, daughters, and grandchildren.

Mae is lovingly remembered by her children: Eric Simon and his wife, Cathy Lazarus; Mark Simon and his wife, Mary Fleming Simon; Marian Simon and her partner, Barry Lederman; and Batya Sachs; seven grandchildren: Stuart Simon, Leore Schmueli, Nora Simon, Karen Simon Rachel Ellen Simon, Maayan Boirarski, and Daniel Sachs; and nine great-grandchildren: Hallel Avraham, Tohar, Avigail, Naomi, Yarden, Be’eri, Ivri, Ezra, and Nellie Mae.

Preceded in death by her parents Abraham Levy and Ethel Lefstein, her brothers Gilbert and Ralph Levy, and her husband Kenneth Simon, Mae was laid to rest in Israel, near Jerusalem.

Charitable donations in her memory can be made to the Jewish United Fund.

A celebration of her life will be held at a date to be announced.

Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com