Thomas Grange Simons VI

We are heartbroken to announce the death of Thomas Grange Simons VI, affectionately known as Rovie. He passed away at his home in Taborton, New York, at the age of 64. 

Rovie was born on February 7, 1959, in Mount Vernon, New York, to Thomas Grange Simons V and Janice Marie Smyth Simons. He attended Eastchester High School and completed a post-graduate year at Phillips Exeter Academy before attending Franklin & Marshall College, where he earned his BA in anthropology. He began working at the Environmental Protection Agency in 1982, where he became a national expert on asbestos abatement and PCBs and patiently counted the seconds until his retirement in 2017. 

He had his beloved daughters Sarah (1986) and Laura (1987) with his first wife Pam Werntz in Fairfax County, Virginia. In 2002, he married the love of his life, Vicki Anderson Simons, and gained his beloved son, Eric (1987). 

The life Rovie and Vicki built together was an inspiration to all. They shared a home in Wheaton, Maryland, and spent countless happy days together as a family at their lake house in Taborton, where Rovie was known and loved by all the neighbors as “the Mayor of Taborton.” They loved to travel and visit with Vicki’s extended family, who became his family, in Williamsburg, Virginia. They recently bought a home there and planned to split their retirement between Virginia and New York. 

Rovie was a lifelong faithful Mets fan who always believed this would be the year. He was an expert fisherman and could drop a lure on a lilypad from 30 feet away. He shared his love of fishing with anyone who would listen and loved teaching kids, especially his grandkids, how to cast and reel. He was an avid coin collector, a skilled craftsman and had the greenest thumb, and found joy in sharing his creations with loved ones. He was a man of routine and did the crossword every morning with a cup of coffee. Every evening, on the couch with a glass of wine, he’d watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, plus Antiques Roadshow on Mondays. His laugh and wry sense of humor were infectious. He had a huge heart and gave the best hugs. 

He is survived by his wife Vicki; his children Sarah (Sarah Morelli), Eric Glover (Rob Rodems), Laura (Tim Brown); his brother Tip and sister Janice Kullman (Bill); his grandchildren Elliott, Khalil, Rahmi and Lawson; his nieces and nephews Kat, Lindsay, Will, and Liam; his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Antoinette and Percy Anderson; and brothers-in-law Vance and Craig Anderson. He will be dearly missed by his family and friends, especially the Big Bowman Lake community.

He is predeceased by his parents. 

His ashes will be scattered in a private memorial by his family in the beautiful place he loved most. 

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