Memories of Sidney

• Steven Simon
• Robert Simon

Steven Simon


February 21, 2005

I just wanted to write to you to express my condolences to you and
your families. Although obviously uncle Sidney had not really been
himself for some time, his passing is still very sad news.

From the time my brothers and I were old enough to remember, Sidney
was a larger than life presence for us.  His wisdom, his brilliance,
his laugh, and his sense of humor were always well appreciated. And of
course there was his patented "Hooww do you doo!".  This phrase was so
often imitated in our family (the highest form of flattery), that we
started imitating each other's imitations. I think Alan's imitation
was always the best.

From his love of the Vineyard, to his overwhelming drive to learn new
and random interesting things, Sidney was certainly one of a kind.  He
was one of the very few people who our dad really looked up to, and
one of the few people that we all enjoyed visiting every year.  To me,
he was the only uncle that I ever knew and he was a very fine one at
that.  We will all miss him and remember him fondly.


Robert Simon


February 28, 2005

My memories of Uncle Sidney are of a man who loved to share ideas with
others; always with a big smile and an exuberance that suggested his
own love of learning.

I remember walking down to Lucie Vincent Beach one brisk morning.
Uncle Sidney took us on historical tour of the beach and its notable
neighbors.  It was as though he had studied his whole life to be a
beach tour guide.

I remember passing through Pittsburgh, calling Uncle Sidney from an
airport payphone just to say hello, and getting into a three hour
discussion on what we had been learning in graduate school.  I was in
awe of how quickly he assimilated the models that I was describing
(not ones he was familiar with BTW) and moved right to the next line
of inquiry.  We talked until last call for my plane.

I remember how as young boys Steve and I stood in amazement of your
basement as Uncle Sidney explained in detail the organization of the
"Artifact File".  When Aunt Edna later asked where we had been I
replied that Uncle Sidney was explaining his filing system.  "Oh he
was?" she queried in a skeptical tone.

A few years back my Mom mentioned that Uncle Sidney was studying
Ancient Greek.  If it were anyone else it would have seemed odd but
for him it actually seemed quite normal.  If he had not been engaged
in some sort of new intellectual pursuit that would have been odd.  He
was always exciting and fascinating to be around.  My whole family
loved being around him.