John F. Simitz

John & Frank are up there together enjoying the breakfast John wanted to go out for; I think it´s probably the best breakfast ever for both of them.

Eileen and Julianne, I offer my sincere condolences. I knew John from The Morning Call (and occasionally would see him at King Kone). He was kind and a true professional, bringing his keen eye to every photo he took. He was a pleasure to work with.

Dear Eileen & Julianne, My deepest sympathy on your loss of John. I was blessed to work with him for 25 years at The A.D. Times and call him a friend for 31 years. John's humor and kindness made those long drives to assignments in "the coal region" fly by, and were even more enjoyable when Eileen joined us. The assignment that touched me most was our post-911 trip to FDNY Engine 6 with Notre Dame High School in June 2002. It was an emotional day, but one that also had some lighthearted...

I´m so sorry for your loss Eileen. John will always be with you in spirit and a part of him will be here with me in the wonderful wedding album he put the for me.

John, Thank You for Your service to our country. God Bless You! God be with your family! Sincerely, A Grateful American

What a beautiful tribute, John was a great man and wonderful neighbor. He will be missed. Rest easy John.

I had the pleasure of assigning John in The Morning Call's Lehighton office -- and pleasure is the correct word. He was unflappably calm and nice and a delight to work with, but also a consummate pro: He accepted every assignment gracefully, and you knew John would bring back great work. This obituary captures him perfectly. He will be very missed.

My condolences to John's family. In '77, John and I spent three wild days covering the Johnstown flood. We'd walk the flood zone by day and at night John would develop film and print photos in a motel bathroom/darkroom alongside other AP photographers, then transmit his best shots back to The Morning Call for the morning editions. He was a consummate pro.

Dear Eileen and Julieanne, John and I sat next to each other for many years at work. He left me in stitches with laughter more times than I can remember, and he taught me so much about newspaper work, getting it done day after day. What a great coworker, friend and teacher who I will never forget. His jokes were terrific and frequent, and he made coming to work fun. Oh, how I will miss him, too. My very best wishes, Donna