Mr. Martin "Marty" Simon

Martin "Marty" Simon, 79, of Chateaugay, died Monday, May 11, 2020 at his home with his wife by his side and aided by Hospice of the North Country. Born on February 6, 1941 in Garfield, NJ, he was the son of Stephen M. and Rose V. (Henap) Simon, They, along with his son, Ritchie Hackett, predeceased him. He was married to Agnes Slingerland on October 24, 2005 in Rangeley Maine. Marty's love of the outdoors began at age 9 as a Boy Scout, where he eagerly soaked up everything taught to him. A proud US Army Veteran, he honed his outdoor skills during the course of his military service by attending Arctic and temperate survival schools, jungle survival school, and serving two tours of combat duty in Vietnam. Upon completion of his military service, he founded the Wilderness Training Center, later renamed the Wilderness Learning Center in 1984. Eager to share his skills and knowledge with others, and believing everyone should be prepared, he taught courses in wilderness survival. A good part of his teaching involved wild plants and their uses. He was a well-known local expert in this field, especially in the area of utilizing plants for medicinal purposes. In his free time, he and his wife enjoyed canoeing and camping with good friends. There weren't too many things more precious to him than sitting around a campfire with good company as well as a good cigar. He was also well known for his quality leather work. Many years ago, he opened a leather shop on Main Street in Chateaugay. He later moved it to his home and was still doing custom work on a small scale until he became ill. Since the closure of his survival school in 2012, he has enjoyed living the simple life on his small hobby farm where he continued to spend as much time as possible outdoors helping his wife take care of their goats, chickens, and garden. He was loved by many who, even though saddened by his passing, take comfort knowing he's now somewhere sitting in front of a campfire, cigar in hand, and his two favorite dogs, Shadow and Whiskey, by his side. Marty is survived by his wife of 14 years, Agnes; and a brother Wayne Simon. At Marty's request, there will be no services. Donations in his memory may be made to the North Country Animal Shelter, PO Box 813, Bare Hill Road, Malone, NY 12953

Mr. Martin "Marty" Simon

February 6, 1941 - May 11, 2020