Stephen Simons

Stephen Henry Simons was born on August 28, 1967 in Inglewood, CA and went home to be with the Lord on September 12, 2020, at his home in Phoenix, AZ. Steve grew up in Saugus, CA where he attended Rosedell Elementary, Arroyo Saco Junior High, and Saugus High School. Steve was an avid football fan and player, and suffered a knee injury during a high school football game, ending his football career. He moved with his family to Phoenix, AZ in 1983 where he attended Cortez and Greenway High Schools and ultimately earned his GED High School diploma. With a passion for the film industry, Steve returned to Southern California after high school. He held various positions including lighting grip and set security before becoming the stage manager for Lindsay Studios in Valencia. During this time he injured his back and returned to Arizona to attend Universal Technical Institute (UTI). He was the Lighting Director at the Red River Opry (now Marquee Theater) in Tempe, AZ before he began his career in commercial lighting. Steve continued in commercial lighting sales with RC Lurie until 2018. Steve was a creative spirit and longed to be a writer. Over the years he wrote many children’s stories, manuscripts, and poems, one of which, “The Fatherless Son,” was published. Steve fiercely loved his family and friends, along with the Steelers, Jimmy Buffett and Van Halen. Steve enjoyed going to concerts and sharing the experience with those he loved. Steve was generous, kind, and loving with an infectious smile. He was an outgoing uncle to his nieces and nephews. He had a particularly special bond with his niece, Elizabeth, whom he loved dearly. Steve was preceded in death by his father (Louis Deschner), his adoptive father (George Simons), both his maternal and paternal grandparents, two aunts, three uncles, and two cousins. Steve is survived by his mother and step father (Tom and Bonnie Driscoll – Sun City, AZ), his brother and sister-in-law (Monty and Kathe Simons – Brooks, GA), his sister and brother-in-law (Neal and Teresa Weber – Surprise, AZ), his sister and brother-in-law (Blake and Georgette Kimball – Peoria, AZ), along with eleven nieces and nephews, a great niece, a great nephew, an uncle, and numerous cousins and friends.