Fr. Robert Simon, Redemptorist "Music Man" and Portland native, dies at 84

DENVER, CO...September 2, 2008...Fr. Bob Simon, C.Ss.R., known within the Redemptorist community as the “Music Man,” died August 29, 2008 at St. Clement Health Care Center, Liguori, Missouri.  Fr. Simon died of complications of heart disease. He was 84 years old.

The funeral schedule is as follows:

Rosary:
            Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 3:00 PM
            St. Clement Health Care Center
            300 Liguori Drive
            Liguori, Missouri

Vigil:
            Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 7:00 PM
            St. Clement Health Care Center
           
Mass of Resurrection:
            Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at 10:00 AM
            St. Clement Health Care Center - Chapel

Burial immediately following Mass at Liguori.

Fr. Robert Simon was born November 6, 1923 in Portland, Ore. One year after his ordination, in January of 1948, Fr. Simon joined the faculty at Holy Redeemer College in Oakland, Ca., where he taught Latin for sixteen years. From there, Fr. Simon went on to fill every role asked of him with quiet grace and dignity. He served as a missionary, retreat master, consultor, director, and both a local vicar and superior.

Besides his Redemptorist vocation, his other two great loves were languages and music. He could speak Spanish, French, Latin and Czech. He was adept with the piano, the organ and the accordion. In his later years at St. Clement’s, he would lead his confreres in song playing the organ at Mass. In December 2006, Fr. Simon was the guest on a national radio program that featured for the first time anywhere on radio the music of St. Alphonsus Liguori, C.Ss.R., founder of the Redemptorists. 

Please remember Fr. Simon, his family and his Redemptorist family in your personal and community prayers and Masses, and may he rest in the fullness of the Redeemer’s Peace.

If you would like to make a donation in Fr. Simon’s memory, to help support the work of the Redemptorists, please make your check payable to Redemptorists/Denver Province and mail it to:

Redemptorists/Denver Province
Development Office
1230 South Parker Road
Denver, CO 80231

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The Redemptorists are a religious congregation of Catholic priests and brothers founded in southern Italy in 1732 by St. Alphonsus Liguori, C.Ss.R., a doctor of the Church and one of her greatest saints. Redemptorists around the world celebrate this year the 275th anniversary of their founding.