By Rich Pollack
DELRAY BEACH — Roy Simon loved Delray Beach.
A Delray native and a descendent of one of the community’s first families, Mr. Simon had a passion for his hometown. That energy charged much of his work and focused his vision on ideas that define Delray Beach even today.
An architect whose blueprints underlay notable Delray Beach buildings and numerous homes, Mr. Simon was at his drawing board for 65 years and was putting plans together until shortly before his Aug. 14 death. He was 93.
“My dad was a visionary,” said his daughter, Laura Simon. “He could see the potential of the city and believed in it. He believed Delray was special and could always be better.”
Mr. Simon’s dedication to the community helped make it easy for others to share his vision.
“When Roy Simon talked, people listened because what he said wasn’t about personal gain, it was always about the betterment of the community,” said Mark Denkler, a longtime downtown business owner who along with his wife hired Mr. Simon to help with plans for a 1939 home he is renovating. “He was devoted to the town.”
Born in the family home — he never went into the hospital until a few weeks before his death — Mr. Simon was one of four brothers who attended Delray Beach Elementary School and Delray Beach High School. He graduated in 1948, went on to receive degrees from Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, and later served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force before returning home.
One of the founders of the Delray Beach Historical Society, Mr. Simon was among the leading voices advocating for the preservation of the buildings that made up his elementary and high schools and that eventually became Old School Square.
That was just one of many community efforts he stood behind.
“My dad was involved in everything,” Laura Simon said. “I don’t know how he did it.”
Mr. Simon is credited with creating the Delray Beach Gladiola Fest, which evolved into the Delray Affair.
In a 2022 conversation with The Coastal Star, Mr. Simon recalled how the idea was born after he saw a street festival while visiting relatives in Winter Park. “I came home and said, ‘We ought to have this in Delray,’” he said.
Mr. Simon was also one of the driving forces behind efforts to keep the state from widening Atlantic Avenue, thus helping the downtown to blossom.
“My dad always saw the potential, not just that moment, but bigger,” Laura Simon said. “Maybe that comes from his architectural background.”
It was Mr. Simon who stepped up in 2011 to help organize Delray Beach’s centennial celebration after realizing that little was being done to mark the occasion.
Mr. Simon was active in several community service organizations including Rotary and Lions Club. He was involved in the Little League and served two terms as president of the Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce.
“Delray is a community and Roy was one of the community torch bearers,” Denkler said.
Mr. Simon was the founder of the Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority that his daughter now leads.
He served on a couple of city boards and ran once unsuccessfully for what was then the Delray Beach City Council, but found that he was better behind the scenes.
“He was the quintessential Delray guy,” Laura Simon said.
Mr. Simon was a lifelong member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, where he served as chalice bearer, acolyte and on the vestry.
Throughout his lifetime, Mr. Simon was known for his kindness and for being the gentleman in the room.
“He was that guy,” Laura Simon said. “He always cared and would always see the good in everyone. He was a gentle giant. He was just 6-foot but he always seemed bigger.”
A devoted family man, Mr. Simon was married to his wife, Beth, for more than 60 years until her death last year. He is survived by his three children, Michael (Charlene), Laura (Sven Mautner) and Christopher (Claudia); three granddaughters, four grandsons and five great-grandchildren.
A funeral service was held on Aug. 25 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. A military burial followed at the Delray Beach Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church or the Delray Beach Historical Society.
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