Lenore (Goldman) Simon passed away on August 2, 2024, at the age of 96.

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Lenore (Goldman) Simon passed away on August 2, 2024, at the age of 96.

During Lenore’s seven-decade career as an artist, she worked in a variety of media, including monoprint, assemblage, serigraph aquatint, drypoint, ink, mixed media, and, most recently, an adept foray into digital art. She proudly spoke of a Cooper Union entrance examination requirement to do a sculpture: "Someone had to go to the restroom, brushed by me, and my piece fell on the floor. I picked it up, somewhat horrified, and looked at it and I said 'it's a bird!' It suggested a bird, and so I went with it. Sure enough, I got into Cooper Union!" This was Lenore's exuberance and resilience in art and life.

Lenore was born in the Bronx, New York. During her high school years, she was an ardent fan of a West Bronx baseball team, called “The Barracudas.” They were one of several kid-organized teams who rotated boroughs to play each other. Eventually, Lenore met Bobby, who belonged to one of the opposing teams, The Top Hats, from Washington Heights. They crossed paths again at an event a few years later. Soon afterward, their 58-year marriage was underway, including her following Bob to Europe during his Korean War military service, moving to San Diego, raising three children, and her teaching and creating fine art.

Lenore taught art at various camps, community centers, and adult programs beginning in 1963. In addition, she taught Fundamentals of Drawing for 15 years at the University of California extension program. Lenore’s work is in over 300 collections, nationally and internationally. She received multiple awards and Artist-in-Residences during her illustrious career.

At age 90, Lenore coordinated her solo artist exhibition, which she called “Quest,” at Sparks Gallery in San Diego. Her health deteriorated, but even at the hospital and rehabilitation facilities, she was giving art lessons to nursing staff until almost her last day on the planet.

Besides her family and art, Lenore cherished her soda and milk variation of an egg cream. Red Lobster was her go-to restaurant for a special-occasion meal. She loved The New Yorker magazine, puns, and playing Scrabble. She enjoyed watching Shark Tank. She loved watching all forms of dance and taking a spin with her husband in the kitchen. She observed dance performances on television with a critical eye. This was understandable when you considered she had experienced the original West Side Story production on Broadway. Even at age 90, before the COVID-19 pandemic, she was talking about the fun she was having in her Curves exercise classes. She often had background music playing; Carole King and Jim Croce were favorites. For movies, Lenore preferred drama and comedy over action-adventure or animation. She was keenly observant of the beauty around her, though not road signs. Luckily in her later years she volunteered to give up her driver’s license. And she was continually energized by her large network of admiring and caring family members, friends, and colleagues.

Lenore’s enthusiasm could be, say, a bit quirky: During a family road trip, her startling outburst, “Bobby, stop the car! Pull over!” was followed by her merely pointing out a rock or cloud formation that had caught her eye.

Maybe Lenore was prescient when answering a 2001 interview question asking what words she’d like to hear when she gets to heaven. She answered, “The first time, ‘Go back, we’re not quite ready for you.’ Second time: ‘You did good.’” In the end, it turned out that she went through three hospital stays in her final year and a half. Like her experience with that smashed sculpture during her Cooper Union entrance exam, Lenore made the best of a bad situation. Leave it to Lenore to return to her family and friends for that extra round until she and heaven were finally ready for each other. 

Lenore was preceded in death by her parents, sister, and her husband, Robert. She is survived by her daughter, two sons, daughter-in-law, and grandson. 

Lenore expressed her wish that any donations in celebration of her art-loving life be directed to the following institutions: The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art – School of Art; Earl and Birdie Taylor/Pacific Beach Library – Taylor Gallery in San Diego; or Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego (formerly San Diego Art lnstitute and Lux Art Institute) – School Outreach Programs.