Donald William Simone

Donald William Simone

Reno - Donald William Simone, age 79, of Reno Nevada, passed away in mid-August after an illness of several months. Don was born in Richmond, Virginia to Mary and Henry Simone. Henry was a bass player with well-known bands, like Tommy Dorsey's but had to give up the traveling when Don was born. They moved to Hyannis, where Henry ran a pleasure fishing boat for 7 years. Then they sailed down to Miami, where Don's father ran pleasure fishing boats until he retired. Don attended Coral Gables High School, served his time in the Coast Guard, and then apprenticed as an electrician, the kind of work he did for 20-some years. Don's first marriage produced a son, Donald Lee Simone, who is now living in Reno with his wife and 2 children.

From the time he was 16, Don rode one form of motorized vehicle or another, beginning with a Vespa, which he rode for fun with his dog, Skippie, whose hind legs were on the seat and his front paws on Don's shoulders. After his electrician training, Don worked in various locales all over the country, sometimes on high rises, once on a nuclear power plant. During this time, when in Florida, he raced motorcycles, sometimes with racers who became famous.

Once his 2 children (his first wife had a daughter, Pam, who he adopted) reached junior high, it was decided that they needed to live in one place so they settled in Fresno, Cal.. where he and his brother-in-law at the time bought an AAMCO business, which Don ran until he retired in 1997. He met Anne in Fresno, and they have been married for over 34 years.

About the motorized vehicles: while still in high school, Don would buy an old junker, fix it up, and race it in stock car races on Friday nights in the Miami area. He also got into off-road motorcycle riding, making many long-time friends both in Florida, later in the Fresno area and these past 21 years here in the Truckee Meadows. And of course, he rode street bikes too, taking many trips into Baja and Canada with friends and Edelweiss trips with Anne in central Europe. Even last year, he managed to ride into Washington, Montana, and Arizona. He was a member of the Golden State Riders out of Fresno, the Miami Mt. Trail Blazers, out of Oakhurst, and the Dust Devils in Reno. He was an early member of Concours Owners Group, serving a few years as as Assistant Area Director. His wife, Anne, served 7 years as COG's national treasurer, and together they hosted and ran the COG 2002 National Rally (for COG members) in Montrose, Colorado.

Following his love of music, he helped Anne when she was on the board of the Philharmonic Guild shortly after they located to Reno and attended many concerts. 2 years later, he was a great help when she re-started the Nevada Opera Guild and was membership chair. They attended all the opera productions until that organization went dark. Then they got into P'Opera, the singing portion of Sierra Music Society, as volunteers.

Donald is preceded in death by his parents and is survived by his loving wife Anne, his son, Donnie and Donnie's wife Christine, and their 2 children, Alek and Zander, his daughter Pam, and several cousins with whom he had remained close over the years. No services are planned, as he requested, but he was very much loved and appreciated and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.