Margaret Linda Simon, of Ashland, VA, died of cancer at home on November 30, 2011. She is survived by her husband, Richard M. Simon, her daughter Tana Elizabeth Powers and fiancé J. Thomas Robinson. She was born in St. Augustine, FL., on March 13, 1944, the eldest daughter of Mary T. Irwin and the late John J. Irwin. She is also survived by her siblings—John J. Irwin, Jr., Robin I. Waters, Ann I. Conlan and Sydney I. Dunitz and many devoted aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins with whom she maintained close contact.
Linda graduated from Russell Sage College, and has MS and MBA degrees from Syracuse Univ. and Babson College. She began her 22?year career in medical research at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and at Children’s Hospital and Brigham & Women’s Hospital, in Boston, MA.
In 2000, Linda moved with her husband to Ashland, VA where she devoted her efforts to horticulture. At her death, she was serving as President of the Piedmont District, Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs. Linda earned the
Virginia Master Gardener designation and was a member of the Virginia Flower Show Judges Council and Virginia
Landscape Design Consultants Council. She was an active member and leader of the Richmond Horticultural Association, the Richmond Council of Garden Clubs, Hanover Towne Garden Club, Henry Clay Women’s Club, and was a patron of the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.
Our deepest sympathies to the Simon family and our everlasting gratitude for the years of support Linda gave to the Nature Camp family.