Michael Simon, 78, died on September 15, 2020, peacefully after a short illness, at his home in Santa Fe, NM. Michael was born on September 17, 1941, in South Bend, Indiana to Yves R. and Paule Simon. His parents and 5 siblings had immigrated to the United States in 1938 from France, where Yves was an internationally known Aristotelian philosopher, strong critic of Adolph Hitler and on Hitler’s 10 most wanted list.
As a teenager, Michael moved by himself to Albuquerque, NM and majored in journalism at the University of New Mexico. In 1964, with $112 in his pocket, he drove by himself to the San Francisco Bay area. His car threw a rod on the Golden Gate Bridge and he abandoned it there. Michael enjoyed a serendipitous faith throughout his life, that regardless of what happened things would work out for him.
Michael, a pacifist, avoided the draft by obtaining a job as a tutor of two children who were sailing around the world with their parents on a private boat. The trip lasted over a year and contributed to his life long love of travel. At one point he applied and was admitted to the Doctorate in Psychology Program at the University of California in Berkeley. In 1967, he took a summer workshop in pottery with Marguerite Wildenhain at Pond Farm, CA. In three weeks he had an epiphany and dropped out of UC Berkeley to dedicate his life to the arts: first as a potter for 20 years and then as a painter. He and his ex-wife sold their art through their gallery in Santa Fe. He believed that if he created one thing of beauty that his life would have been a worthwhile journey. Michael was a seeker and every year that he was able he would explore a new place, often overseas. A trip with Michael was an adventure not a vacation!
Michael was known among his friends as a raconteur partly because he believed that the most important thing in life is love. He trusted that he would be taken care of as long as he was willing to keep stepping forward and exploring. He was a member of Santa Fe Monthly Meeting of Friends and also was a regular participant at the Santa Fe Vipassana Sangha. He is survived by a son, Christopher Simon, of California. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings.