Simon—Michael Simon, 78, on September 15, 2020, peacefully after a short illness, at his home in Santa Fe, N.M. Michael was born on September 17, 1941, in South Bend, Ind., to Yves R. and Paule Simon. In 1938, Michael’s parents and five siblings emigrated to the United States from France, where Yves was an internationally known Aristotelian philosopher and a strong critic of Adolph Hitler.
As a teenager, Michael moved to Albuquerque, N.M., where he majored in journalism at the University of New Mexico. In 1964, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Michael, a pacifist, avoided the draft by obtaining a job as a tutor of two children who were sailing around the world with their parents on a private boat. The trip lasted for more than a year and contributed to his lifelong love of travel. Michael was admitted to the doctorate program (psychology) at the University of California, Berkeley. He dropped out of the program in 1967 to dedicate his life to the arts, first as a potter for 20 years and then as a painter. He and his ex-wife sold their art through their gallery in Santa Fe.
Michael was a seeker who would explore new places, often overseas. He enjoyed a serendipitous faith that regardless of what happened things would work out. He was known among his friends as a raconteur, partly because he believed that the most important thing in life is love. He was a member of Santa Fe Meeting, as well as a regular participant at the Santa Fe Vipassana Sangha.
Michael was preceded in death by his parents and siblings. He is survived by one child, Christopher Simon.
Comments on Friendsjournal.org may be used in the Forum of the print magazine and may be edited for length and clarity.