Joseph Patrick (Pat) Simon Arts & Culture Wall Of Fame

Pat Simon was born on December 10, 1930 in Niagara Falls, Ontario where he lived until he passed away on January 31, 2014. Pat started helping out in his family’s restaurant when he was a young child. Eventually he and his wife Rosa took over the business and together they operated Simon’s Restaurant on Bridge Street for over 50 years. No one was ever refused a meal because they were unable to pay. Niagara Falls and the people of Niagara Falls were Pat’s passion. He collected memorabilia, clipped newspaper articles, postcards, and immersed himself in the local culture. He was well known for both his love and his knowledge of Niagara Falls. People would visit the diner for the food and for the conversation. He loved to talk about the history of Niagara Falls and had a great memory for details. Pat was an amateur photographer and spent a lot of time and money documenting almost every City of Niagara Falls event for over 30 years. Pat always knew what was going on in the community and made the effort to attend as many events as possible. He would develop two copies of all of the photos that he took. He would give one to the event organizer and kept one for his own records. Pat was a big part of the Niagara Falls community and the loss has been felt by many.