1933 – 2015

AUGUSTA — MSgt. Francis N. Simon, USAF, 81, passed away peacefully Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the Maine Veterans’ Home in Augusta following a brief illness.

Francis was born in Old Town on July 5, 1933, a son of Albert and Marie (Dumont) Simon. He grew up in Old Town and later moved to the Lewiston-Auburn area, where he attended local schools.

As a boy, Francis worked with his family “turning bricks” at the Morin Brick Yard in Danville. Francis enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and spent the next 26 years at various Air Force bases around the country and the world, including tours in Korea, Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

After retiring from the Air Force in 1978, Francis took a job at Bath Iron Works as an electrician for the next 11 years.

In retirement, Francis was an avid genealogist. Through many long hours of research and traveling the state, he was able to trace his family lineage back several centuries to 14th-century France. What makes this most impressive, is that this was all accomplished by visiting libraries and churches and without the use of computers or the Internet.

Francis was a longtime member of the American Legion, William J. Rogers Legion Post 153 in Auburn. He cherished his time with his fellow Legionnaires.

Francis is survived by his sister, Alice Keene of Jefferson; his children, Glenn, Debbie, Carl and Jackie; several grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and many great-nieces and -nephews.

He was predeceased by his parents; his second wife, Teresa; his brother, Albert Jr.; his sister, Joanne; and his brother, Kenneth.

Online condolences and sharing of memories may be expressed at www.lynchbrothers.com.