Thomas Tighe Simon

Thomas T. Simon (Tom) was born in Cumberland, MD, July 2, 1945, to Tom and Frances Tighe Simon while his father was in charge of German prisoners of war at the end of WWII. The family later moved to Missoula, Montana where his father practiced law, and then to Washington, DC and College Park, MD.

Tom graduated from Archbishop Carroll HS, St. John’s University in MN, and later received a M.A.T. degree from Oberlin, OH. He enlisted in the U.S. Army, served in Munich, Germany, and then returned to the states to earn a Master of Arts in Library Science degree from Catholic University. After a couple of years as a school librarian he became a public librarian for the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System. He served in branches throughout the county over 34 years, retiring as branch manager librarian at the Accokeek branch in 2009. Tom married Barbara McGee, an artist and art teacher, in 1984 and had their daughter Nora Simon in 1986.

Tom was also the foster father of Barbara’s first daughter, Julia Kender. Tom and Barbara were enthusiastic hikers who walked around the Greenbelt lake often. Barbara died in 2016.

Tom was an enthusiastic cyclist, taking solo cycle tours of the Pacific NW, New England and the province of Nova Scotia. Tom died on November 13, 2021 from complications of Parkinson’s disease. The family will make arrangements at a later date.