Obituary of Richard E. Simko

Richard E. Simko March 27, 1933 – November 24, 2014 Richard Edward Simko was a beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, great- grandfather and dear friend to many. He passed away suddenly and too soon at the age of 81 on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, in Arlington, Virginia, due to complications from a sudden fall which occurred during his incredibly difficult battle with myelodisplastic syndrome leukemia. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, he attended Indiana University, served in the Air Force during the Korean War, graduated from Marian College in 1960, and pursued a Federal career for the next 35 years, holding increasingly challenging management and executive positions in IRS including District Director for the state of Maine but primarily in the Washington DC area. He later happily served for 10 years as business manager for St. Ann Catholic Church and School and became very involved in creating the new St. Ann Church building. Throughout his careers in government and church, he devoted great effort to guiding and mentoring many people and was very proud of their success and personal fulfillment in life, work, and faith. A marvelous sense of humor, love of sports, brilliant mind, true compassion for others, and a deep Christian faith typified his life. His many delights included golf, basketball, hang-gliding, running marathons, horse racing, acting and directing in local theater productions, word puzzles, writing and teaching writing to children and adults, serving as a volunteer EMT for 4 years in Maine, and supporting St. Ann Catholic Church community in a myriad of volunteer roles for the past 22 years. But his greatest joy was his 5 children, each of whom he loved immensely. That role as Dad, coupled with his striving daily to be a prayerful, positive, practical, humorous and caring Christian to his family and his many friends, are his special legacy. His family and former relatives who loved him greatly and who are now grieving, include his wife of 32 years Suzanne Shaw Simko, his former wife Sue Ormond who is the mother of his 4 oldest children, his sister Dorothy LaRue and her children, his living children Amanda Simko, Maria Simko Chapman, Steve Simko, his beloved deceased children John Simko and Ann Simko Wise, his grandchildren Ashleigh Brown, Nicholas Brown and Brittany Copeland, and his great-grandchild Benjamin Copeland, and his unofficially adopted daughter Alta Ogden Peltz. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Ann Catholic Church, 5300 North 10th Street, Arlington VA 22205 at 11AM on Thursday, December 04, 2014. A Commitment Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery Columbarium will be held in 2015. The family welcomes flowers as well as encouraging donations to the American Cancer Society and welcomes memorial comments at www.Adventfuneral.com.