Rose L. Simon

Rose L. Simon (nee Wein), 85, of Chicago, died in her home on Sunday, March 21, 1999.

Born in Chicago in 1913, she graduated from Marshall High School and Crane College. At the age of 54, she received her Bachelor's degree from Chicago Teachers College.

Rose married Charles Simon in 1937, and stayed happily by his side until his death in 1965. Although she lost the love of her life much too soon, she never lost her love for life. Along with other close friends, she and Charlie formed a support group in memory of a dear friend who died in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade during the Spanish Civil War. Throughout her life she remained committed to social justice issues.

Early in her marriage, she worked as an assistant buyer at Mandel Brothers Department Store. While her children were young, she volunteered in school activities and served as PTA President, making trips to Springfield to lobby for education legislation. She taught grammar school at two Chicago elementary schools from 1967 to 1978.

Soon after that, she began her last career as a tour guide at the Museum of Science and Industry, where she worked several days a week until she was 83. She eagerly researched each exhibit at which she worked, and spent most of her nearly 20 years at the museum as a guide for the U-505 submarine.

The museum often asked her to lead VIP tours, which included Bozo the Clown, a group of Japanese diplomats, Barbara Bush, and David Letterman, whose visit was televised. Letterman enjoyed his time with Rose so much that his segment with her aired again on "The Best of David Letterman."

After retiring from her job at the museum, she continued as an active, long-term participant in a 50-year-old book club and took advantage of numerous classes at the Cultural Center in downtown Chicago. She loved poetry, theater, art, films, and conversation. Rose had a gift for storytelling, delighting her children and grandchildren with stories of her childhood on Chicago's South and West Sides. She was the kind of person who made friends wherever she went, and she will be missed by many Chicago-area people as well as family and friends throughout the country.

She is survived by her devoted children – daughter Leslie, son Marc, son-in-law Donald Schaan, daughter-in-law Mary (nee Hill), and beloved grandchildren – Caya Schaan, Sage Schaan, Nathaniel Simon, and Laura Simon, all of San Francisco, California.