Mary Louise Simon

1930 - 2015

Mary Louise Simon Died on February 16th at her home in Corte Madera. Born in 1930 in Corvallis, OR, to Francois Archibald and Violette Gilfillan, she graduated as class valedictorian from Corvallis High School and earned a B.S. degree from Oregon State College, where she was a member of Mortar Board, the Talon Society, Phi Beta Kappa and the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. At OSC she met and married Corte Madera native Jay Simon. New to Marin County in 1951, she sought affiliations with local chapters of Theta and AAUW (American Association of University Women), leading to lifelong friendships. A keen volunteer, she was a founder with naturalist Elizabeth Terwilliger and the first president of Pixie Place, in the Marin Art and Garden Center; a Red Cross swimming and canoeing instructor; PTA vice president at Neil Cummins School; the first PTA president at San Clemente School (now the Cove School); a group leader and president of the Marin section of the Golden Gate Council of Camp Fire Girls; a coach of the girls' swimming team at Redwood High School; a hospice volunteer; and a book mender at the Corte Madera Library. She and her husband were early supporters of the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT). The couple hosted kindergarten classes at their small farm, where children witnessed the milking of a cow and were treated to fresh-churned butter spread on saltine crackers. After raising children, Mary Louise pursued a teaching credential at Dominican College and taught biology at Marin Country Day School. A perennial learner, she participated for many years in the OLLI continuing education program at Dominican. An avid outdoorswoman, she hiked the trails of Mt. Tamalpais, canoed the waters of West Marin, backpacked in the Sierra Nevada and pitched tents in campsites throughout the West. She delighted in identifying birds and wildflowers. Mary Louise kept a flock of hens and shared eggs with friends, neighbors and her cardiologist. She will be remembered for her apple crisps and blackberry pies. She is survived by her three children, Philip Simon, of Corte Madera; Kay Simon, of Prosser, WA; and Alice Simon Gabriel, of Pound Ridge, NY; two sisters, Ellen Johnson, of Reedsport, OR; and Nansie Jensen, of Bend, OR; five grandchildren; one great-grandchild and two sons-in-law. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Marin Agricultural Land Trust or the Breast Cancer Fund.