Dr. Simon Beltran

BELTRAN, Dr. Simon E.

Dr. Simon E. Beltran passed away peacefully at home on August 20, 2024, after a difficult four-month battle with non-small cell lung cancer. He was born May 11, 1948, at Gorgas Hospital in the Panama Canal Zone to Ana Lucila and Jorge Luis Beltran. He was the youngest of four and is survived by his sister, Yoryana; and brothers, Luis Jorge and Jaime. He grew up in Panama and graduated from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia with a Doctor of Medicine degree. He trained as a surgeon and met the love of his life, Mercedes, during residency at Gorgas Hospital. They moved to Atlanta, GA, in 1980 and got married on January 23, 1982. He had over 30 years of clinical experience as an emergency room physician, spending the last 20 years of his career at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta. He also managed a physician practice group and a coding, billing, and collection company before he retired by 2010. He was universally respected by his colleagues, family, and friends.

He was a firm believer in hard work, education, and doing everything to the best of your ability. At his core, he was a provider, and his most proud accomplishment was his family. He spent his free time exercising, traveling with his wife, or watching movies in his home theatre. His humor will be sorely missed, including all his dad jokes and quoting movies like The Godfather (Leave the gun, take the cannoli), and Dumb and Dumber (That's a lovely accent you have. New Jersey?). He will be remembered for his impeccable hair, forgetting which actor was in what movie, and always being an early adopter of the newest technology.

He had no regrets in the end and said he did everything he wanted to do in this lifetime. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Dr. Mercedes Delgado; and daughters, Carla Rose York and Dr. Victoria Mercedes Beltran; sons-in-law, Jared York and Timmy Teck; his three granddaughters, Charlotte, Samantha, and Anna, whom he adored; and his nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers or gifts, donations can be made in his memory to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.