Memories of David "Rave" Simons | Ever Loved

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In memory of

David "Rave" Simons

Delray Beach, FL, USA

January 9, 1962 - October 16, 2020

Jan 9, 1962 - Oct 16, 2020

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Terry Holliday

The world is certainly a lesser place without David. I worked with him for decades at Goldman and he brought so much energy, intelligence and enthusiasm to everything he did. We didn’t always agree, but I always loved working with him. He also approached every person with fairness and compassion. He was one of the first people who reached out to me when my son was killed, and when I got back to the office came to see me and offered that if I needed to, I could come sit in his office and cry, so I wouldn’t have to cry alone. I took him up on that, and just having heard of his death I’m crying now.

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Samantha Simons

Sanjay Paul Antony

One of the finest Managers I have worked with. Rest in peace, David!

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Samantha Simons

Matt Field

My deepest condolences to David's family on their loss. It was truly a privilege to work and learn alongside David during his time at Goldman. He gave 100% all of the time, and passed that enthusiasm on to everyone he worked with. I still remember him challenging me to a competition of “who could cleanup up the most stock record breaks” (he won if anyone was in doubt). David’s mantra of “what happens in the real world must be on books and records” is still a guiding principle in our new analyst training, and is just one example of the profound impact he has made (and continues to make) on the organizations he has managed, and the people he has led.

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Samantha Simons

Please consider a gift to H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute Foundation Inc.

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vivian simons

Filled with so many emotions today as I look back at the many years I knew and loved David. I met him at Stony Brook when he lived next door. He was the first Jewish boy I had ever dated. Our outing was to Ben’s kosher deli. He sang to Barbara Streisand playing on a cassette tape in his Datsun B210. He was so loving and affectionate. I really enjoyed watching him play sports and taking photographs of him and his teammates. Roller hockey, basketball and footbalI his favorites. He was also quite the gambler. We spent many days at the race track. Belmont, Yonkers, Saratoga, the Meadowlands. He was a Giants, Mets, Rangers, Grateful Dead and Rent fan, and shared this passion with his family and friends.

We first lived in NYC above a pizzeria on Lexington Ave and 65th . He worked at the American Stock exchange and I, at the Bronx Zoo. He eventually started working at Goldman Sachs and I transferred to the Central Park Zoo. We were married in 1988 and gave birth to Samantha Okie (named after a Colobus monkey) in 1990 . We were then asked to move to London and of course we were thrilled. We lived at 11A Hornton St., Kensington in a beautiful flat with a bright yellow door. Princess Diana lived nearby. I know David always dreamt of going back there one day with the kids. He would rollerblade with a hockey stick on the streets of London and also in Hyde Park. Three years in London, we welcomed many visitors, enjoyed making new friends and being locals. We traveled to Africa and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. Shortly afterwards, our son was born, J full stop, D full stop. J.D. was born at the same hospital as many royals, Archie Harrison for example. We then both studied Italian for months as we were planning a move to Milan. I was better at languages than him. We ended up not moving to Italy but back to the U.S.A.

Spent a year in Chatham N.J. This is where Annie and Betsy were born. Identical twins, with bright blue eyes. To say I had my hands filled would be an understatement. We soon moved to our first home in Weston, CT. A year later we were asked to move to Hong Kong. Samantha and I flew into Kai Tek airport. That was a little scary. We sat upstairs in business class on a Cathay Pacific jet. We ate filet mignon with steak knives and fancy china. Found a flat on the 8th floor at Hong Kong Parkview, an apartment complex high in the mountains. We quickly started hiking and fell in love with this new hobby. This is when David started training for the Maclehose, a 24 hour hiking marathon through the mountains of Hong Kong. The kids and I were so proud of him. Loved making friends with the Chinese and learning about their culture. Kids and I studied Mandarin.

We were so fortunate to live in Asia. Being an ex-pat working for Goldman Sachs, provided us with a very nice lifestyle. Soon after arriving, we won a trip to Hanoi , at a Goldman Sachs cocktail party. There, we purchased many beautiful paintings by famous French/Vietnamese artists.. We traveled to Cambodia, Bali, Malaysia, Beijing, India, Australia and Bangkok to name a few. More visitors, I loved being a tour guide. Think David was jealous of my life there. He always said when he is reincarnated, he wants to come back to life as a Hong Kong expat wife. Not sure he would like playgroup, mah jongg or antique shopping but I am sure he would find his niche. Think biking in the mountains there would be ideal. Maybe he could open a bike shop.

Back in the states, a big adjustment. Samantha had a hard time converting HK dollars into US currency. We had a layover in the LA airport and Sam thought the people looked so weird. We were glad to be back in our house in Weston. David was thrilled to have better TV stations and being able to watch sports in live time. He taught JD to play ice hockey on the pond in front of our house. We raked leaves and mowed our own lawn.

Eventually, David moved to India and then to Brazil. Biking really became his passion. As the kids grew up he became very helpful with homework. He spent hours on the phone with them, teaching them economics and other business related skills. He must have had a very expensive phone bill as Annie and Betsy graduated college in 3 years. They admired him so much that they both ended up working for Goldman Sachs. He instilled in them his hard work ethic. As for not taking a sick day, my Dad mentioned to him that as a police officer, he never took a sick day. David admired this idea and decided to follow in his lead. I will always admire his love of singing and so glad that Samantha and he share this special bond. Samantha knows the words to every song that comes on the radio. Being the only boy, JD loved having his dad around. David taught him about stock markets and JD now has a deep interest in investing. An amazing athlete, David taught JD to play football, basketball and hockey. Loved watching them practice together. They played tough.

Back in the States, David built a beautiful home in Delray Beach. The kids loved going down there. They were very good at spending his money, picking out the most expensive lighting fixtures and furniture. They bonded like never before and I am happy for them to have had so much quality time with their father. I last saw David when he was here in CT picking up some of his things. He needed another Dyson vacuum like a hole in the head. He gave me a big hug and I cried, I kind of felt like he knew this was a last goodbye. I will always remember the good times, giving birth to his 4 children, family hugs, the cereal eating and so much more. I am so grateful for David’s immediate family. They have always been so loving and supportive to myself and my children. Thanks so much to all that helped David these past few years. Thank you David for converting the endless footage of video tapes into a digital format that we constantly enjoy watching. My wish for you now is to enjoy your retirement. You worked so hard all these years. We will all miss you very much.

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Diane Black

Wendy Simons

Samantha Simons

Comments:

Howard Berkman

Viv, thanks so much for sharing all of that about your life with Dave and with the kids. There’s a bunch ... Read more Viv, thanks so much for sharing all of that about your life with Dave and with the kids. There’s a bunch there of which I was ... Read more Viv, thanks so much for sharing all of that about your... Read more

Alberto Pravettoni

2000, England

David and the Fixed Income Ops team

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Samantha Simons

Comments:

Samantha Simons

My dad still has this shirt & wore it very regularly :) Great pic! My dad still has this shirt & wore it very regularly :) Great pic! My dad still has this shirt & wore it very regularly... Read more

Alberto Pravettoni

My heartfelt condolences to David's family in these difficult times. I feel privileged to have known David, a wonderful colleague and a good friend. His positive energy always encouraged those around him to try and do the right thing, as he would. His smile and love of life will be missed, but never forgotten. Ciao David, rest in peace.

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Samantha Simons

2020

David Barse for David Simons Memorial -- October 25, 2020

Top 10 Reasons why I love David Simons
1. David was always a Competitive Athlete -- Even as kids we were always competing, and it spirited our zest for life

2. Life plan for Simons & Barse -- At least my plan was always to go to law school, like our dads, go into their practice and preserve the Law Firm and the name Simons & Barse that never happened. Ironically, I lost my father at the age of 58

3. Enduring years of bad play and inadequate NY Giant Tailgates --
Inspired by David We went from cold sandwiches to Steak &
Lobster and then everyone wanted to come!

4. David’s thirst for travel and living/working abroad-HK, India, London, Milan, Rio -- I was always envious of his life of travel and experiences as he did more than most every human. He always enjoyed sharing stories with me of his experiences including his biking in Italy

5. Getting to visit David in places like Rio -- Over the years whenever I had the chance to travel for business to places where David was, we always made time to see each other and in 2014 got to spend a few days in Rio together. I was so proud of everything he accomplished

6. Strong Opinions -- David had many opinions. One experience was when David was right in the thick of the financial crisis advising the management of Goldman Sachs on their risk capital. At the time, he gave me insights into how ugly it was especially for companies like Lehman Bros, which David predicted would go under before they did (I cut my own firm off from trading with them because of David’s advice)

7. Always taking an interest in what I was doing with my Professional Life -- Whether I was running my prior firm or what I am doing now with XOUT, he was always interested in what I was doing and I continued to dream that one day, maybe, we could work together and I could coax him out of retirement to my current firm

8. Running a triathlon -- In 2006, I decided to train for and race in my first Triathlon in
Greenwich, CT while David was still living in CT. It was a fun run for him but for me it was a real challenge and he coached and coxed me to the finish line even running back after finishing to run the last mile with me to get me to finish line. He made me feel that he cared just as much about me finishing even though I was very far behind him

9. The Last 2 years…-I was in Peru in December 2018, David called and told me about his diagnosis and asked that I help him and his family in managing his financial affairs. From that day until the day he passed our relationship continued to grow stronger and stronger. We shared so much over these last two years and while I have lost a friend, I gained so much in what we were able to share with each other. I learned much about David and his family. But I also learned a lot about myself and as sad as this situation is, I am so grateful for the time we spent together.

10. His love for his Children -- I always knew he adored all of his children but what I learned over the last two years was the love and respect they have for him; a joy and envy for any parent.

I have many other stories to share over my 58 years but those are the top ten reasons why I Love David Simons.

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Sreenidhi Hassan

He was a great leader. May God bless the soul to rest in peace

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Samantha Simons

Leon Dsouza

My heartfelt condolences to David’s family.
David played a big part in my career and was instrumental in giving me the opportunity to be where I am today, I feel blessed to have had him in my life and interacted with him. He was a real gem of a person and I know the energy he spread was so positive. I can’t forget his impromptu meetings where he used to stand up on a work desk and talk to the entire team. His legacy will live on. Giving the family the strength during this tough time and wishing everyone celebrates his wonderful and touching life!

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Samantha Simons

Ross Silver

So sorry for your loss. As part of the Harbor crew, Rave was part of our group that spent literally thousands of hours growing up playing football, hoops, street hockey, baseball and more at Baldwin Park, Oakwood Beach Club parking lot, all of our backyards and driveways, and fields all over town. And that evolved into regular dinners at Dinosaur every couple of months with the Baldwin boys until now. My oldest son has done a bunch of Ironman triathlons and he and Dave talked about it at some point. Classic Dave comment to my son who was maybe 21 at the time and not making money --- "you might be able to beat me, but I can outspend you on equipment." Still makes me laugh. RIP Rave.

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Samantha Simons

Mitchell Brookstone

Dan Tucker

susie rofe

brent watson

Heartfelt condolences to all the family.
David was a very instrumental in helping me to progress through my career and I feel lucky to have connected with him and to have called him a friend.
The stories that all shared yesterday were touching and helped me to get to know him as a father and a friend huge impact on a number of levels.

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Samantha Simons

joanne long

So many awesome things David had a chance to execute successfully. "A life with love left to give. A soul with life left to live". Gone to soon. Loving thoughts are with you. OXO

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Samantha Simons

David Buckley

Very sad to hear this news. Dave and I worked together at GS in London, Milan, Hong Kong and Bangkok and he was an outstanding friend, guide and mentor from my very early days at the firm. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family at this difficult time. May he rest in peace.

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Samantha Simons

Robert Jaffe

"Why would you wear an adidas shirt? You are actually paying to advertise for them".

Rave, circa 1977

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Samantha Simons

Michele Virginia

susie rofe

Mitchell Brookstone

Dan Tucker

Comments:

Samantha Simons

classic classic classic

Mitchell Brookstone

could have been rave circa yesterday! could have been rave circa yesterday! could have been rave circa yesterday!

Peter Johnston

My deepest condolences and prayers go to David’s family. I worked very closely with David at Goldman for many years. He was excellent at his job and was a great colleague. He always wanted to do the right thing for the business and our teams, he was one of the least political leaders I have worked with. Today’s memorial was a great tribute to David!

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Samantha Simons

susie rofe

There are so many great memories with Dave that I remember and will cherish. I remember after I ran the NYC marathon and how happy he was for me, doing my best time that year. Or silly things about the benefits of "clipping in" when riding. I was also very familiar with funny stories from the Baldwin boy's days, playing stickball, eg. "Baby that", "no bases, no bats, no balls", etc etc. I vividly remember Dave begging my father to let him buy my sister's used 280Z, as my dad did not want to sell it to him, since it was not in the best shape. But Dave finally convinced him and he loved that car.
I know a lot of you spoke about Dave's tremendous accomplishments, of which there were many. However, I find his greatest accomplishment was he and Viv raising such intelligent, hard-working, lovely and kind kids, of which he was so proud. We watched them grow up into such fine adults and I know Dave will be watching over them for many years to come.

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Samantha Simons

Mitchell Brookstone

Meha Grover

Dave was one of the best leaders I have ever known. He knew how to blend in and how to stand out at the same time. Working with him at Goldman Bangalore as a NAPA in 2005, was a privilege. He walked the talk and created a culture we all swear by. No words can describe the impact he has had on where we stand today!
My prayer goes out to his family to give them strength in this difficult time. May his soul rest in peace! He shall always be missed...

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Samantha Simons

Samantha Simons

DTS Celebration of Life - Oct 25 photos

We are so appreciative of everyone who was able to join the service this morning and for those who have shared memories over the last week. We had an issue with the recording of the service.

In the interim, here are the pictures we shared this morning to to remember our dad: https://drive.google.com/file…

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Diane Black

Michele Virginia

Mitchell Brookstone

Sage Jhaveri-Gajarawala

Comments:

susie rofe

you guys did such an amazing job. you guys did such an amazing job. you guys did such an amazing job.

Diane Black

It was a beautiful service❤️ It was a beautiful service❤️ It was a beautiful service❤️

Mitchell Brookstone

My words at David's memorial....

Good Morning. I am so sorry, and extend my deepest feelings to David’s family, and really, to everyone who knew David, and had a relationship with him. I especially want to take a moment and say thank you, to Paula, and to say how so very sorry I am. Paula, was very special to David, and she took care of David, and really gave David “unconditional love” throughout his battle with cancer. Paula is a very special person, and being there for David, in the way she was, will leave a very lasting impression on me. David knew how lucky he was to have you there. He told me all the time. Paula you are indeed a special person, and I am so very sorry.

My name is Mitchell Brookstone, and for those who don’t know me, I guess I was David’s best and closest friend. I have always been made to feel that I am part Simons, and David certainly was considered a part of my family since we were young kids.

I met David in elementary school on the ball field. We went to different schools but had some common friends, but initially we just competed against each other. He knew me as a good athlete, and I knew him to have a great backyard that had the largest basketball court and a big area to play football. When we started the same middle school together we instantly became good friends, and that bond really began because he discovered, that like him, I was a die hard Giants Fan. That shared love was the beginning of a lifelong relationship that constantly evolved and ironically, I believe, continues to grow even after his passing.

David was a special, unique person with a unique personality. He had quite a few circles of people that were important to him. I have read the many comments posted by many of you on the website during this past week. Everyone has sort of captured qualities that certainly went into who David was. Professional, Mentor, Good Guy, Amazing Bull Shit Radar, Competitor, Teacher, Hard Worker, Humble, and of course… “Slacker” are a few that stood out to me. I knew and experienced every side of David Simons.

Slacker? Yes. David did nothing and put forth minimal effort growing up in school. He did well, because we all know how smart he actually was. But he never worked at it, never really hit the books, never really cared all that much, so long as he got by with ok grades. David NEVER signed up for drivers education, but instead waited untill he turned 18 and just got his license. The day he got that license someone gave me two tickets to an Islanders hockey game. I called David up and told him I got tickets but you have to drive. Never been on a parkway, never been in bumper to bumper traffic, never drove at night, but he picked me up and the two of us drove to a packed arena at night on a parkway and in tight quarters pulling into the arena lot. That was David. Throughout life, I don’t think I can ever remember him ever getting nervous, or ever panicking. If he did he would never show it.

David didn’t apply to any colleges. That process was way to arduous for him. He wound up at StonyBrook Univ, I think because at a certain point it was probably the only place that would accept him since he missed every deadline. In High School if you scored above a certain level on the PSAT test you got a scholarship to go to a NY State School. David of course qualified for that Scholarship and was very proud to tell people, that He went to StonyBrook on a scholarship. Additionally out of all of our friends from Baldwin, he would often remind me that he was the only one of us that went to school on a NY State Regents Scholarship.

After College David figured he would apply to Law School. Of course, he applied to only one school, and I did his application and wrote his essays for him. I got him into Law School. It was my essay that got him in. He went the first day, and dropped out. Called me up and said….Yeah “that wasn’t for me”.

Well if you knew David you know the rest. He parked cars, he worked at the Amex, and eventually got in at Goldman Sachs. He started at the bottom and worked his way up to the top. He never slacked. He was as hard a worker as there was. He devoted himself to the company and to success. I am sure many of you have been told by David that he never took a sick day. If he was sick he went to work and if really couldn’t, he used vacation time. David became a leader there, and led by example. He used to tell me that he loved his job, and he loved his work. He never did it for the compensation, he did it because it simply was something he really liked doing.

Competitor? David was fierce. I was his closest friend, and no matter what we did together, David always made it seem like a competition. He knew though that no matter what, I could always beat him up. I was always stronger. For most, that’s only important only as a kid. For us, it was always important. Fact is David was never the athlete I was growing up. At a certain point though, David, took up running, cycling and fitness. He became obsessed with it. Training, racing, it became his life. He became an Ironman. A true Ironman in every sense of its meaning. He became a way better athlete than I ever have been, or ever could be. I was with David the day he was told he had cancer. We went to see an oncologist and during that visit, He explained to the doctor that he had won a triathlon just a couple of months prior. Medal and Podium. He realized that apparently that victory came WHILE HE HAD CANCER. He was very proud of that. We saw many doctors over the last couple of years, and each one knew that David was as strong and fit as anyone could be and ready for battle. David told them all that he had won a triathlon while having cancer. He also won our football pool the week he passed. How he even got his picks in, I will never know. That was David.

For me, David was the smartest guy I knew, the most successful, the toughest, the most disciplined, and simply the best. He was often my teacher. He used to say to me, its not how much you make, its how much you spend. He wanted me to retire so that we could simply spend more time together and play. His children are the best and are developing into the greatest of people, and I often would ask him how do I deal with this, or deal with that when it came to my own kids. David was a great father. David loved my children, Carly and Jordan, my niece Madeline, and my nephews Alex and Daniel. He was uncle Rave to all of them.

David since we were young always had the best stuff. Gadgets, toys, electronics, clothes, you name it. With me he was always the most generous. When we went to the Giant games together during the winter your feet would freeze sitting there. David found a pair of boots that would keep your feet warm on the moon, and bought us both a pair. I still have mine. I found a Pizza place that has the best pizza but its takeout only, and its far from my house. David sent me the insulated pizza carriers that the restaurants use. He bought me the apple watch cause it can monitor your vital signs and EKG and wanted me to be able to know if something was amiss. When Covid hit he sent me the gas masks and haz mat suits the marines use, and UV lights to sterilize my office and equipment. I am a doctor. He did this throughout our lives. When we were young, if I didn’t have money to do something he wanted to do, he would always pay.

I could go on all day talking about my friend, and my brother David. If he were here today, I think he would be angry that there is this fuss about him. He told me not to be sad, that he felt at ease and complete. He felt he lived an extraordinary life, did things he never dreamed he would or could ever do or achieve. I am very sad though. My life moving forward will have an emptiness and a void. I miss him.

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Rosa Loredo

Lori Webster

Comments:

Rosa Loredo

Thank you for mentioning Paula in you tribute to David’s life. She was an integral part of his fight, treatment,... Read more Thank you for mentioning Paula in you tribute to David’s life. She was an integral part of his fight, treatment, and battle throughout... Read more Thank you for mentioning Paula in you tribute to David’s... Read more

joanne long

Hey Mitchell. First & foremost, those 2 words...Thank You,can be quite underrated. I'm at a loss for putting... Read more Hey Mitchell. First & foremost, those 2 words...Thank You,can be quite underrated. I'm at a loss for putting my feelings into... Read more Hey Mitchell. First & foremost, those 2 words...Thank... Read more

Archana Tayade

A outstanding human being and an authentic leader gone too soon! It has been my privilege and honour to have had worked with Dave as part of the founding team of GS Bengaluru. He laid the foundation of GS culture in the Bengaluru office. A incredible leader, role model, mentor, a humble and simple soul who made a huge impact on me in my formative years at GS . Flooded with memories of Dave - sitting with us during our orientation sessions, at our desk observing us work, always listening to our feedback and listening to our stories in the cafe - He was genuinely interested in his team and cared for them.
Dave, you have shaped me into who I have become! Grateful to have had the fortune to work with you - Rest in peace! We will always cherish you!

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Samantha Simons

Howard Berkman

Thanks to Dave’s kids, Steve, Mitch, Dave & others for telling the stories you told. They all resonated with me - I’m sad that I and his other SBU buddies will no longer see him, but the memories he created will certainly stay with us. I honestly remember moments with Dave from college more than any other person, which is odd since he never once attended a single party with me!

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Samantha Simons

Comments:

Stephen Simons

David always smiled when you were around Howie. David always smiled when you were around Howie. David always smiled when you were around Howie.

Howard Berkman

Appreciate that, Steve. Appreciate that, Steve. Appreciate that, Steve.

sushil sancheti

My deepest condolences to Dave's family. I have never seen a senior leader with such empathy and respect for everyone. He connected with everyone in Bengaluru office . Dave left a profound impact in my professional life and i am honoured to had known such a wonderful human being. Rest in peace Dave . You will always be remembered as founder of GS Bengaluru office.

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Samantha Simons

Kirsten Becker-Valero

Shared a heart

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Samantha Simons

Steve Scopellite

My deepest sympathies to Dave’s family. I worked closely with Dave his entire career in his many roles. His tireless energy and passion for getting it right was contagious. I remember while he was in India he figured out my commuting drive in and every morning he was keeping me company while I sat in traffic. We spent many hours solving all the world problems. Dave was a good man, a good friend and this is indeed a sad day😔

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Samantha Simons

Gayathri G

My deepest condolences to the family .

David Simons was one of the finest human being I have ever met in my life . He had an amazing ability to connect with people and make them feel part of the whole . He had a deep, everlasting positive impact in my professional life and a role model .

His soul will stay alive in many of our hearts for the rest of our lives 🙏.

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sushil sancheti

Samantha Simons

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Created with love by Samantha Simons (David's daughter), Annie Simons (David's daughter) and JD Simons (David's son).

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