Sonia Adele Simons

Sonia Adele Simons passed away on July 12th, 2023 in Cresskill, New Jersey at the age of 92. She was the third daughter of Molly Yeletsky and Samuel Reitman, both immigrants from Brest-Lutovsk. She was born in the Wallace Pelham Parkway area of The Bronx, at her parents' home, during a snowstorm. Her two elder sisters, Miriam Kushner and Dora Zahler, are deceased. Sonia was a gifted musician and graduated from the New York High School of Music and Art where she studied piano and voice. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Education with a minor in music from Queens College and was a longtime elementary school teacher in Manhattan. She was also a private piano teacher. She married Leo Simons and lived most of her life in Closter, NJ and Delmar, CA. Sonia received a Master’s Degree in Special Education from Montclair State University in New Jersey midway during her teaching career. She travelled extensively and lived abroad in Milan and Venezuela and as a result spoke fluent Italian and Spanish. Sonia valued intellectual inquiry, education, and music. Her knowledge of classical music, particularly opera and piano, was extensive. She was a volunteer usher at the John Harms theater in Englewood, NJ, for many years. She greatly enjoyed playing the piano and regularly gave casual performances at senior citizens' centers in the Delmar area. These were quite popular and delighted both the residents at the centers and herself. Sonia is survived by her daughter, Pamela Simons, and her son, Grant Simons, both of whom are physicians, her daughter-in-law Sunisa Simons, and her four grandchildren: Emily, Nicole, Julia, and Scott. Her children’s and grandchildren’s educational and musical achievements were always her greatest source of pride and joy, and her connection to her grandchildren was a source of great happiness for her. Sonia was also extremely close to her niece, Barbara Kushner Moore, and her nephew, Richard Kushner. A funeral service will be held Monday, July 17, 10:00 am at Barrett Leber Funeral Home, 148 Dean Drive, Tenafly, New Jersey. After the service, there will be a private cremation attended by immediate family. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Sonia Simons may be given to https://www.wqxr.org/.

Sonia Adele Simons

July 12, 2023