ON FEBRUARY 1, 2023, SIMON LOPEZ SR, PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY AT KADLEC HOSPITAL IN RICHLAND, WASHINGTON. SIMON WAS BORN IN EDINBURG, TEXAS ON AUGUST 03, 1941 TO MR. NEMECIO & AURORA LOPEZ. SIMON WAS A GREAT ASSET TO CITY OF PASCO AND THE ENTIRE HISPANIC COMMUNITY.

ON JANUARY 10, 1960, SIMON MARRIED THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE AMELIA (AMY) PALOMAREZ IN EDINBURG, TEXAS. SIMON AND AMY WERE HAPPILY MARRIED FOR 63 LONG YEARS. AFTER THEIR MARRIAGE SIMON AND AMY STARTED MIGRATING TO IDAHO AND WASHINGTON STATE IN SEARCH OF BETTER WAGES AND A BETTER LIFE. IN 1962 HE AND AMY LANDED AT THE GOLDEN GATE RANCH IN TOPPENISH, WASHINGTON. AGRICULTURAL LABOR BECAME THEIR WAY OF LIFE IN THE BEGINNING OF THEIR MARRIAGE.

IN THE EARLY YEARS, SIMON AND AMY WOULD MIGRATE ANNUALLY BACK AND FORTH FROM TEXAS TO WASHINGTON STATE. FINALLY, IN 1971 THEY DECIDED TO SETTLE DOWN AND MADE PASCO THEIR HOME UNTIL HIS PASSING.

AFTER 1971, SIMON GOT INVOLVED IN THE TRUCKING BUSINESS HAULING LOCAL FARM COMMODITIES LIKE BEETS, POTATOES AND APPLES WITHIN WASHINGTON STATE. HE LATER PURCHASED HIS FIRST SEMI AND TRAILER AND STARTED TO HAUL ON AN INTERSTATE BASIS. HE WOULD HAUL FARM COMMODITIES AND OTHER PRODUCTS TO ARIZONA, TEXAS, IDAHO, OREGON AND CALIFORNIA.

EVEN THOUGH SIMON DID NOT HAVE AN ADVANCED EDUCATION, HE, NEVERTHELESS, WAS BLESSED WITH A LOT OF COMMON SENSE AND DETERMINATION TO SUCCEED. THROUGH HIS HARD WORK AND DETERMINATION, SIMON BECAME VERY SUCESSSFUL IN THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY. HE LATER FOUNDED THE FOLLOWING BUSINESSES HERE IN PASCO: S & L TRUCKING, INC, SNA TRUCKING, HIGH-TECH MFG AND REPAIR AND KING CITY PALLETS.

SIMON'S BUSINESSES PROVIDED A LOT OF JOBS FOR A LOT OF LOCAL EMPLOYEES. HE ALSO PROVIDED JOBS FOR A LOT OF SELF-EMPLOYED INDEPENDENT TRUCKERS. ALL THESE PEOPLE WILL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL TO MR. LOPEZ. SIMON GAVE A LOT OF THEM THE HEADSTART THAT THEY NEEDED IN LIFE.

SIMON AND AMY, TOGETHER, HAD SIX CHILDREN. THOSE CHILDREN, IN ORDER, ARE:

AURORA, DTR, (ENRIQUE)

SIMON, SON, (SHIRLEY)

DANIEL, SON, (SUSANA)

ALBINO, SON, (DEBBIE)

JJ, SON, (LISA)

RENE, SON, (CANDACE)

SIMON HAD 10 SIBLINGS… FOUR BROTHERS AND SIX SISTERS. THE REMAINING SIBLINGS ARE:

LEON, BRO, (GRACIE)

JOE, BRO, (ELVIRA)

NOE, BRO

ANGELITA, SIS, (BALDE)

BLANCA, SIS

ESPERANZA, SIS, (JESSIE)

DIANA, SIS

ALMA, SIS, (HOMER)

SIMON WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS PARENTS, NEMECIO & AURORA LOPEZ, HIS BROTHER, NEMECIO LOPEZ, JR, AND HIS SISTER, IRMA.

SIMON IS ALSO LEAVING BEHIND HIS BELOVED WIFE OF 63 YEARS, AMY LOPEZ, HIS STEPMOM, MANUELA LOPEZ, 6 CHILDREN, 8 SIBLINGS, 22 GRANDKIDS, 48 GREAT GRANDKIDS AND 3 GREAT, GREAT GRANDKIDS. HIS GRANDKIDS, GREAT GRANDKIDS AND GREAT, GREAT GRANDKIDS ARE TOO NUMEROUS TO NAME IN THIS ARTICLE.

SIMON'S FUNERAL WILL BE CONDUCTED BY HILLCREST FUNERALS AND CREMATION, 9353 W. CLEARWATER AVENUE, KENNEWICK, WA 99336. THE VIEWING WILL BE FROM 4:00 pm TO 8: 00 pm ON FERUARY 15, 2023. A ROSARY WILL BE SAID IN HIS HONOR FROM 6:00 pm TO 7:00 pm ON THE SAME DAY. HIS BURIEL IS SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 16, 2023 AT THE PASCO CITY VIEW CEMETERY. BEFORE THE FUNERAL, THERE WILL BE A MASS FROM 11:00 am TO 12:00 pm AT SAINT JOSEPHS CATHOLIC CHURCH HERE IN KENNEWICK, WASHINGTON.