Matilde Simmons

Matilde Simmons
Matilde Fichman Simmons, a resident of Fairfield for more than 50 years, died on Tuesday, April 28 at Shady Grove Hospital in Gaithersburg, Maryland of complications from coroanavirus-19. She was two weeks shy of her 98th birthday.
"Lia," as she was known since childhood, was born in Recife, Brazil to Laban (Luiz) Fichman of Secureni, Bessarabia (now Sokyryany, Ukraine) and Esther Landa Fichman of Britshany, Besarabia (now Briceni, Moldova) who fled persecution in Europe and settled in Brazil. She was one of five siblings: Dr. Samuel Fichman, Lia, Dr. Jacob Fischman, Dora Fichman Brooks, and Dr. Lucien Fichman.
In 1944 she graduated with a degree in Accounting from the Faculdade de Ciências Econômicas (College of Economics) in Recife.
She met her husband, Bernie, in 1944 when he was one of only two Jewish officers aboard his World War II Navy ship. While on a triangle tour that included Recife, Bernie attended a Jewish Community Center dance during shore leave where he met and was enchanted by Lia. They corresponded throughout the remainder of the war and were married in June 1947 at the Simmons Family home at 589 Fairview Avenue in Bridgeport.
In 1952, armed with a degree in Economics from Yale University, Bernie began a career with R.H. Donnelley, publishers of the Yellow Pages, first in Washington, D.C., where Lia, a natural linguist, became a bi-lingual interpreter performing simultaneous translation between Portuguese and English, including working conferences for the Organization of American States. In 1955 Bernie and Lia moved to Plainview, NY when Bernie continued his career with R.H. Donnelley in New York.
A dozen years later they returned to Connecticut in 1966 where they stayed for the next 50+ years. During this time Lia got her real estate broker's license and managed properties for Arbee Associates and additionally performed simultaneous interpreting and translation work in the Bridgeport area. Bernie retired from Donnelley's in 1986 and then became a Vice President for Kaiser Publications in Scarsdale, NY. After leaving Kaiser, he and Lia traveled to and lived in Montevideo, where Bernie became a respected consultant to telephone directories and advertising publications in Uruguay. They returned to the U.S. in 1989 and happily spent their retirement years in Fairfield.
Lia loved a good Connecticut lobster, a cold beer, playing bridge and Buraco, cooking, creating needlepoint pillows and art, Star Trek and MacGyver, a spin on the dance floor, the thrill of a flea market hunt, her family, and most of all her beloved husband, Bernie who predeceased her in 2014; in 66 years of marriage they were never separated for more than a handful of days.
Lia is survived by her son Luiz of Rockville, MD, her daughter Jaynie (Scott Taylor) of Washington, DC, her granddaughter Rachel Simmons and her great-granddaughter Estee of Northampton, MA, her grandson Dr. Joshua Simmons (John Kirley) of San Francisco, CA, her newest great-grandaughter, Marigold of Kensington, MD, her brother Dr. Lucien Fichman of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, her brother-in-law Richard Simmons of Sewickley, PA, plus many nieces, nephews and friends.
A graveside service will be held on Friday, May 1 at 1:00 p.m. at the Loyalty Lodge Cemetery on Burroughs Road in Fairfield, Connecticut. Because of the current coronavirus pandemic only immediate family members will attend. Mourners wishing to attend the funeral electronically can find the link to the on-line service at www.greensfuneralhome.com. The link will stay active for 90 days.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to the Wounded Warrior Project.