Yale Simons

Yale Simons passed away on February 28, 2008 in Los Angeles. He was 94 years old. Yale and his wife, Bobi, first moved to Phoenix in 1960 from Detroit. In Detroit he was in the car business and in Phoenix he was in the building estate business. Yale was an extraordinary man, an uncommon man and many considered him a legendary figure, but at the same time a very humble man. Yale's first passion was criminal rehabilitation. In Detroit he had spent much of his volunteer time working with children, trying to keep them out of trouble and develop better relationships with their families and the authorities. He carried on that wok in Phoenix and was the local founder and president of the Seventh Step Foundation, which dealt with the remotivation and rehabilitation of criminals. His work was so outstanding that in 1970, a short ten years after his arrival, the Phoenix Ad Club selected Yale as Phoenix's Man of the Year. In 1978 he helped found the OK Community which dealt with a more intensive counseling for former convicts and juvenile offenders. In 1982, he received the "Twelve Who Care – Hon Kachina Award." Yale was always close to his Jewish heritage. Within four years after his arrival in Phoenix, he became president of Beth El Synagogue and in the early 1970's he twice chaired the Federation's United Jewish Welfare Drive. Yale expedited the building of the Jewish Community Center on Maryland Avenue. Among his many honors in the Jewish Community, the Federation awarded him the Medal of Honor in 1990, the highest award given by the Federation to a volunteer, and the Jewish Historical Society awarded him the Tikun Olam Award in 2001. Yale served in the Second World War and was a tank battalion commander in the 3rd Armor Division. He was awarded the Silver Star medal for gallantry and received two Purple Hearts. His company liberated a labor camp in Germany. Yale is survived by his wife, Bobi, to whom he had been married for 62 years,; his two children Yaakov Simons (wife, Sara Simons) and Gail Van Landingham (husband, Mike); six grandchildren and one great grandchild. The family suggest any contributions be sent to any charity of your choice.