Simone Mathieu King
Simone Mathieu King passed away peacefully at her home in Sebastopol, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 14, in the company of those who loved her. King was a former resident of Snowmass Village.
Born in 1919 in Mariaburg, Belgium, she later moved to Antwerp. She and her family came to the U.S. in 1940 to escape the German invasion and settled in Manhattan where she trained to become a nurse’s assistant. In 1943, Simone married the late Lt. Comdr. Russell Y. King (USNR). Through the years, they lived in Virginia, New York, and New Jersey while they raised their three children and then moved to their favorite location in Snowmass Village. Simone volunteered for many years at the Aspen Valley Hospital.
Simone moved to Sonoma County in 2000. Simone will probably be best remembered as an avid world traveler, eager to visit almost anywhere. She loved to sew, hike in the mountains, garden, attend concerts and dance performances, and nurture wild birds. Whatever hobby she undertook, she gave it her innate sense of style and color. She was also a gourmet cook never short on butter and cream – in the Belgian tradition.
Simone is survived by two daughters: Monique Kitinoja and husband John of Elverta, Calif.; and Nanette Simmons and partner, David Fetherston of Sebastopol, Calif. Her beloved son Eric King died in 1990 in a skiing accident. She has three grandchildren: James Berry of Sacramento, Calif.; Jesse Simmons of Santa Barbara, Calif.; and Sierra Simmons of San Jose, Calif. Simone’s niece, poet Laure-Anne Bosselaar-Brown, lives with her husband Kurt in New York City. In her last years, Simone was devotedly cared for by her dear Nancy from Bau Island, Fiji. Bon Voyage, Amama!
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