Patricia Simon

Patricia (Pat) A. Simon, 87, of Shoreview, Minnesota, formerly of Watertown, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 4, 2021 after living with Alzheimer’s for over two years.   She was preceded in death by her husband Wayne J. (Joe) Simon, parents Arthur and Agatha Hoffer, brothers Joe and Ken Hoffer, and sister Audrey (Hoffer) Sande.  She is survived by loving children John (Kathy) Simon of Edina and Jane (Andy) Powell of Marine on St. Croix; adoring grandchildren Tommy, Katie, Stella and Eloise; sister Mary Lou Beggan of Wilmette, Illinois; sisters-in-law Marilyn Hoffer of Holland, Michigan and Pat Strahota of Sylvania, Ohio; and many nieces and nephews.

Pat was born in Watertown on February 1, 1934.  She graduated Watertown High School in 1951 and in 1955 earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Marquette University. As a newly graduated nurse, Pat visited the one-room school house in Helenville, Wisconsin and was introduced to then teacher, Joe Simon.   Smitten with each other, they were married in August of 1957 at St. Henry’s Catholic Church of Watertown and enjoyed 58 years of marriage.

Pat, as the oldest of five, and with her gentle, fair and warm demeanor, was always the caregiver, a calming voice and a trusted confidant to her friends and family.  She truly loved being a nurse and was continuously challenged throughout her 35-year nursing career, beginning as a Public Health Nurse in Jefferson and Milwaukee counties, then moving into supervising the Pediatric Nursing Staff at Watertown Memorial Hospital, then becoming the Assistant Director of the Jefferson County Public Health Department, and finally ending her long career at the State of Wisconsin Health Department surveying and licensing nursing homes and hospice centers throughout the state.  In her retirement, Pat continued to be an active member of St. Bernard and St. Henry Catholic Churches and served on the Elks Lodge Women’s Auxiliary Board, the AAUW Board, and the Watertown Public Health Board.  She was awarded the AAUW Woman of Merit Award in 2005 and the Partner in Public Health Award in 2006.

Pat will be remembered as a dedicated nurse, a woman of strong faith, and above all a loving wife, mother and grandmother.  She loved catching up with her sisters every Sunday night, watching the Sound of Music, attending Friday night fish fries at the Watertown Country Club, shopping for shoes, dressing up for any occasion, baking cookies with her grandchildren, and writing the loveliest notes to friends and family.

We love you and we miss you, Nanny Pat.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Pat’s honor to the Alzheimer’s Association, the Marquette University College of Nursing, or donor’s choice.

There will be a private family service in April with a celebration of life to follow this summer.