Monday a light went out of our life that will never be lit again. Our dear wife, mother, grandmother, sister, twin sister – Connie left this mortal existence to join her son, Ray, and other family members who are on the other side of the veil.
Connie was born to Ada Burningham and Doran Ray Hunt on November 28, 1933, in Ogden, Utah. Connie’s early life was spent between Ogden, Bountiful and Joseph, Utah, as her mother moved often after the death of Connie’s dad in January 1938. After her mother remarried, the family moved to Tooele and then to Ophir, where they resided for 7 years. Ophir had only 104 residents at that time. Connie and her twin sister Bonnie laughed for years about their accomplishments by saying “Not bad for a girl from Ophir.”
Connie met and married John Paul Simon, the love of her life, June 1950. John was in the military and so the family moved as he received orders for new locations. The children, a son – John Paul Jr, was born in Ogden, Utah, Ray Lewis in San Francisco, CA, Sherry Lynn in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and last Wayne Jeffrey in Stuttgart, Germany.
Upon John’s military retirement they returned home to Tooele Utah, where Connie and John worked for many years at Tooele Army Depot. However, it was after their retirement from the depot that Connie came into her own. John and Connie opened Simons Silk Plants, a flower shop with a shop in Mesquite, Nevada. She designed and sold silk flower arrangements which were sold in Utah, Arizona and Nevada. It was the highlight of her working career. She had a wonderful talent for flower designing.
Connie is survived by her husband John; her sons John Paul and Wayne; daughter Sherry Brito, 7 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her twin sister, Bonnie May, two sisters Sherron Gillette and Joan Barger, and two brothers, Lannie and Steve Bridges. She was preceded in death by her son, Ray Lewis who died tragically in 1972, her sister Gwen and last her mother, father and step father, Glenn Bridges.
The family wants to offer their sincere thanks for the care given and concern shown by Mesa View Hospice.
Services will be held at the Virgin Valley Mortuary, Mesquite, Nevada, on Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 12 p.m. PST (1 MST). In lieu of flowers, the family recommends a donation to Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, in Connie’s honor, at 800-457-6676, or visit their website at pdf.org. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in their “Guest Book” at www.virginvalleymortuary.com.
