Simone, Irwin L. 1913-1995

SIMONE, FORAY, TRUESDALE, ASINGER, EHRLICH

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 7/20/2011 at 12:43:59

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register; April 3, 1995

IRWIN L. SIMONE

Irwin L. "Irv" Simone, 81, a longtime resident of Grinnell, died Jan. 24 in Bloomington, Minn.

He was born June 30, 1913, in Abbeville, La., the son of Grace Foray and Leo Simone. He graduated from high school in Port Arthur, Texas, and earned a B.A. degree from Grinnell College in 1941. He was awarded a master's degree from the University of Iowa in 1965.

He was married to Patricia Jean Truesdale, a local resident and Grinnell College graduate, in December 1941. Mr. Simone served in the U.S. Air Force from 1943 to 1946 as a physical fitness and bayonet course instructor.

He was an associate professor and coach at Grinnell College for almost 20 years until his retirement from teaching in 1966. He coached seven sports and led teams to conference championships in tennis, cross country and swimming. At one time his swim teams won seven conference championships in a row.

He developed some of his own weight training equipment and an underwater pacing device. He had a long association with the Red Cross and was the only person to hold the rating of instructor trainer in all five areas of Red Cross work. He served on the staff of the organization's aquatic and small-craft schools.

In 1968, Mr. and Mrs. Simone moved to Aspen, Colo., where they managed several properties and he was a member of the Aspen Ski Patrol. In 1977 they retired to Fort Collins where he participated in the Colorado Senior Olympics, winning three gold medals. They moved to Bloomington in 1990.

Surviving are two daughters, Sue Asinger of Bloomington and Katie Ehrlich of Milliken, Colo., two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia, in June 1991.