25043 - Simone, Andrew (Andy)

Event Date : Thursday, August 17, 1978
Event Type : Death
Municipality :
Community : Newmarket
Street :
Lot :
Concession : 0
Description : Marsh farmer Andrew Simone was killed last Wednesday morning when he was struck by a bolt of lightning during a severe electrical storm.Simone, 47, was loading cabbage on a tractor platform at his Graham Sideroad farm with his brother Santo when the bolt struck at about 10 a.m. He was rushed to York County Hospital in Newmarket and put on life support systems. He died at 3 a.m. the following morning.Simone leaves a wife Carol, children Andy Jr., 5, Angele, 15, Anne, 18, John, 20, and Ted, 22, mother Rosaria, brothers James, Santo, Dominic, and sister Frances.Funeral service was held at the Lathangue & Skwarchuk Funeral Home in Bradford, Saturday, and burial took place at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Rev. Jim Rendle of the Bradford Baptist Church conducted the service.Born in Toronto, Andy Simone moved to his Graham Sideroad farm at age four. He worked on the farm during the summer months and at several Bradford businesses during winter: Western Tire, Bradford Shippers, Ontario Produce, and Ray's Sales and Service.An expert mechanic, he would often fix his friends' and neighbours' farm machinery for no charge, and once built a walker for a crippled marsh child.He belonged to no service organizations because, He believed in doing what he wanted directly" his wife Carol said.He attended Bradford Baptist Church and with his wife belonged to the Christian Couples Club.A tireless worker Simone finally took his first vacation with his wife last year holidaying in Europe. "He had just started to enjoy life" she said.As news of his death spread more than 20 people arrived at the Simone Farm to help with the harvest. Collections for the family were held along the Graham Sideroad and at the Ontario Food Terminal.More than 400 people attended at the funeral home and donations to the Baptist Church Building Fund were requested in lieu of flowers."People have been so helpful" Mrs. Simone said mentioning that Constable Grant Housley of the Bradford OPP a family friend arrived at the farm at 5 a.m. to drive the family truck to market.She added that Doug and Edyth Fox of the Middletown Sideroad opened their home to the Simone family and friends following the funeral service because the Baptist Church does not as yet have a hall."It will be very difficult to thank everyone personally" Mrs. Simone said. "There were so many who helped.""