Margie G. Simon

East Lansing, Michigan

Margie G. Simon passed away in Lansing on March 14, 2016 at the age of 93.  Born in Kalamazoo, MI on December 16, 1922,  she lost her father, Samuel, at the early age of 6 and moved with her mother to Cleveland, Ohio and then later to Grand Rapids, MI where she graduated from Ottawa Hills High School. Upon graduation from high school, she attended Northwestern University where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

She married Benjamin Simon on October 1, 1944.  They moved to Alma, MI, where Ben’s father had a family business.   She became an integral part of the community and in addition to raising their two daughters, she was a member of the Alma City Commission; she was on the original Board of Northwood Institute and she served on the Board of Gratiot Community Hospital.   She was also a founding member of Temple Benjamin in Mt. Pleasant, MI.

She owned and operated a travel business for over the next 50 years, first as Central Travel Service in Alma and later Outlet Travel in St. Johns.  She, together with Ben were very active in Lions International and she was one of the very first women to become a Lion.  After the death of her husband, she became President and later Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bobenal Investments, Inc.

In 1991, she moved to East Lansing to be closer to her family and friends.  During later years, she would split her time between East Lansing and West Palm Beach, FL, all the while taking the opportunity to continue her traveling.  All in all, she traveled to over 100 countries and all 7 continents.  She remained active her entire life and as recently as late 2015 could be seen at the MAC working out.  She was a golfer and an avid bridge player.

She was predeceased by her parents, Samuel and Annette Graff and her husband, Benjamin W. Simon.   She is survived by her two daughters Jill S. Fine (Jerry) and Susan A. Rockafellow (Larry) and four grandchildren, Amy Espich, (Michael) Andrew, (Pamela) Eric (Dara) and Brooke Fine, and two great-grandchildren, Maximus Fine and Ashley Espich.  She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Rosaline Blumenau.

The funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 16, 2016, at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 1924 Coolidge Rd., East Lansing. Interment will follow in Riverside Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant. Contributions may be made to Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester, MI. Arrangements are by the Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel.

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