Lee Don Simon

Born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 22, 1939, he was the son of Harry Simon and Jessica Weiss Simon. He grew up in Lynbrook, Long Island, and graduated from Malvern High school.

After receiving a B.A. from Wesleyan University in 1961, he entered a graduate program in biology at the University of Oregon and received his PhD in Biology in 1966 from the University of Rochester. He joined the faculty of the Institute for Cancer Research (now Fox Chase Cancer Center) in Philadelphia as a microbiologist with a focus on the adsorption of T–even phages and breakdown of proteins in bacterial cells. He joined the faculty of the Waxman Institute at Rutgers University in 1976 and was a professor at Rutgers until his retirement in 2010. Lee was an accomplished electron microscopist: his iconic image of a bacteriophage infecting a virus (“a phage shows its claws”) is still used in biology textbooks.

His talents were many. Lee loved music and the arts, was a proficient pianist, good cook, and adept athlete. He passionately followed current events and had a strong commitment to social justice. But, most of all, he loved his family and his cats Lou and Jean.

Lee is survived by his beloved partner Mary Gibson, and his daughters Deirdre Simon of New York City and granddaughter Willa; Hilary Hartman (Eric) of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania; and Julia Simon-Kerr (Florian Ederer) of New Haven Connecticut and granddaughters Clara and Iris Ederer-Kerr. He is also survived by his cousins Szari Bourque of Oakland, California, her daughters Haven and Lauren; and Jessica Slotkin (Chris Donahue) and her children Moria and Charles. He was predeceased by his brother Michael.

A private gathering to celebrate Lee’s life will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association.