CURRENT CELEBRATIONS

Chester Simonds

From the days of his youth, Chester was most at home by the water, either out on a boat or on the banks, rod in hand. He’d pass his passion onto his son and grandsons. If they saw a body of water, they’d have to know what was in it. He took his family on many vacations but also shared special trips with his wife to the Caribbean and Mexico. His favorite times may have been when he gathered his family under one roof in the Outer Banks. His grandson Ryan named him Mr. Fix It; if it was broken, he knew who to call. His talents probably also came from tinkering with cars in his teen years. Chester could keep them going; he never owned a new car and though they might not have looked great, they ran perfectly. He loved to snorkel, even if it was only in his own pool. He liked watching sports: all the Philadelphia teams and he spent many years on a soccer field watching his son and grandsons play. His earlier years found him playing an accordion and joining the Harrogate Stringband, ultimately marching in the Philadelphia New Year’s Day Parade. He worked as a pipefitter for Allied Chemical which later became Sunoco. He was born and raised in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia and raised his family in Bensalem. He retired to Woolwich Township to be close to family.

He lived around the corner from a girl named Anne, they’d shared a 55-year marriage blessed by two children, Greg (Cyndee) and Courtney, and later by 4 grandchildren: Garrett (Kaitlyn Tracey) Paoletti, Joshua Paolett, Ryan Simonds and Liam Simonds. He is the brother of Patricia Drozdowski, Felix, Thomas, Ronald (Patricia) and the late Richard Simonds

Come celebrate 80 great years Tuesday April 7th, from 10-11 a.m. at St. Clare of Assisi Parish, St. Joseph’s Church, 130 Broad Street, Swedesboro where Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to Michael J Fox Foundation (give.michaeljfox.org) will be appreciated.