David R. Simkowitz

SACO – David R. Simkowitz, 70, of Saco passed away at his home on Tuesday, April 14, 2020.The youngest son of Morris and Alice (Sherwood) Simkowitz, David was a lifelong Saco resident and graduate from Thornton Academy, Class of 1967. After excelling athletically at Thornton Academy, David enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a Hospital Corpsman at the Chelsea Naval Hospital, treating service members returning from Vietnam. He was exceedingly proud of his service and the contribution he made to this country.Upon his return from service, he met and fell in love with Susanne Evans, when they both worked at Biddeford Textile Corp. He and Susanne married on March 1, 1974. He began a career as a supervisor at Biddeford Textile and then moved on to work at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and then Bath Iron Works. He was especially proud of the products he helped build. He also supported Susanne as she continued her education and ran a successful preschool and daycare out of their home for many years. He was a diehard Boston sports fan, always sharing stories of living and working in Boston and events he had witnessed, the art of hitting, and how to throw a curveball. On Sunday afternoons, long after his golfing days were done, he would be found watching whatever tournament was on.David’s life passion was his family. He spent his entire life focused on building a better life for his children, always willing to sacrifice in order to provide and allow them the opportunity to succeed. As adults, whenever his children started a new job, he asked for a hat with their logo so he could show everyone in town how proud he was of them.In his later years, David lived for the time he could spend with his granddaughters, Zoe, Ella, and Hadley. He reveled in his moments with them, soaked up their smiles, and took every opportunity to spend time with them. He loved nothing more than watching them open gifts, reading to them, or just watching them dance. He always said that they were “the first thing he thought of when he got up every morning and the last thing he thought of when he went to bed”. His love and pride in his children and grandchildren was abundant.David will be remembered as a loving husband, father, and grandfather, an old soul with a gentle, sentimental heart, a twinkle of laughter in his eye, an irreverent sense of humor, and an unparalleled sense of commitment to his family and country.David was predeceased by his parents, Morris and Alice Simkowitz; and his sisters, Carolyn Reny and Alice O’Leary.He is survived by his wife and lifelong partner, Susanne Simkowitz; their daughter, Lori Simkowitz-Lavigne and her husband Keith; their son, Derek Simkowitz and his wife Sariah; his three loving granddaughters, Zoe, Ella, and Hadley. He is also survived by his brothers, Robert Simkowitz and Lawrence Simkowitz of Saco, and his sisters, Sylvia Nemet of Old Orchard Beach, Betty Desrosiers of Biddeford, Joanne Cyr of Saco, and Linda Grant and her husband John of Arundel; and many many nieces and nephews.The family will be holding a small private service in the next few days and a larger celebration of life for extended family and friends in the next few months, after risks associated with Covid-19 have decreased. Arrangements are by Hope Memorial Chapel. To share condolences online, please visit www.HopeMemorial.com. In lieu of flowers, the family would like to encourage donations in David Simkowitz’s name to organizations that are feeding healthcare workers fighting Covid-19, such as frontlinefoods.org.


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