Roll Call Tribute

Peter A. Simon 

May 26, 1944 - January 8, 2025 

Peter A. Simon, age 80, of Pittsburgh, PA, died peacefully on January 8, 2025, following a long illness. Survived by beloved partner of 20 years, Marcia (Haroian) Smith; son, Peter Anthony Simon; grandson, Andreas John Simon; and daughter-in-law, Gail Karagianis all of Winthrop, MA; sisters, Kathie Simon Frank (Richard Kain) of Minneapolis, MN and Barbara Simon of South Portland, ME; nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Herbert A. Simon, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1978 and Dorothea Pye Simon; and his son, Andrew A. Simon, who passed away in 2016 in Massachusetts.

Peter was born on May 26, 1944, in Chicago, IL. After growing up in Pittsburgh and living elsewhere much of his adult life, he returned to the city in 2001. During his time away, he worked on the development and testing of submersible ocean craft in Victoria, BC, Canada, but he was perhaps most proud of working as a deep-sea diver in various locations throughout the world, including Hawaii, the Persian Gulf (UAE) and the Gulf of Mexico. He received his Master's degree from Texas A&M University and earned his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2016.

He donated his body to science. When his ashes are returned, his family will schedule a simple service in the Memorial Garden of the First Unitarian Church alongside his parents.