Funeral arrangements set for Tom Simon, former Michigan coach and U-M Golf Course pro
Funeral arrangements have been announced for former Michigan golf coach and long-time U-M Golf Course club professional and manager Tom Simon.
The 83-year-old, who continued to play and teach golf until last year, died Friday “with his family by his side,” according to a Nie Funeral Homes obituary.
Visitation is scheduled for 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Nie Funeral Home's Liberty Road Chapel in Ann Arbor and preceding a 10 a.m. funeral mass at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Ann Arbor on Wednesday.
Simon was the first head coach for the Wolverines’ women’s golf team in 1975 and took over the men’s program in 1978. He coached both teams until 1982. He oversaw the U-M Golf Course from 1969 until his retirement in 1988.
Once a student of Byron Nelson, Simon - who recorded 13 holes-in-one in his lifetime - played one year on the PGA Tour before serving in the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.
Unable to restart his professional touring career after the war, Simon served as a club pro at various country clubs in Southern California before moving to Ann Arbor.
His obituary notes that local golfers will always lovingly remember Simon’s signature critiques of their swings, such as “Maybe you should take up tennis,” and “With your swing, I would appreciate you not mentioning to anyone that I have been working with you.”
Simon met Emily, his wife for the past 22 years, during a golf lesson and they played together throughout their years of marriage and retirement together.
Comments
Tom
Tue, Jul 31, 2012 : 7:59 p.m.
Funny reading some of these stories. My first golf lesson was in the mid 70's and Tom was my swing coach. Before the lesson I told him I wanted to correct a few of my swing faults and one day consistently shoot around par. He seemed enthusiastic to help me as he must have thought I looked like a resonable facsimile of a golfer (slender build and in my 20's. We rode out to the practice area while I told him some of my background and once there asked to see a few practice swings without a ball. He sat in his golf cart with his knees crossed and a pretty disgusting look on his face. Once again. he uttered those memorable words "that is the worst f'ing swing I ever saw in my life" so evidently he used it often. In my case it was a great motivator because I practiced my butt off and after several years I eventually got my handicap down to a 2, and to think it all started with Tom.
Julianne Smith
Tue, Jul 31, 2012 : 5:04 p.m.
I, too, have fond memories of Tom and his brightly colored outfits. During my first golf lesson he said to me, "You've got a great golf swing. There's only about one million things wrong with it." He was right, naturally....
discgolfgeek
Tue, Jul 31, 2012 : 1:51 p.m.
I lived across the street from Tom back in the 80's and took a couple of lessons from him. After a particularly horrendous shank, I still remember him saying "That's the worst f'ing swing I've ever seen in my life" and we both broke out laughing. It was the perfect comment for the moment as it loosened me up and I started swinging better. I also remember him telling me I was too smart for golf, the best golfers were "dumb like Sam Snead". Sam just swung the club whereas I tried to analyze everything. What the obituary did not mention is that if Tom could have mastered putting like he did hitting the golf ball, he would have won a number of PGA events.
golfer
Tue, Jul 31, 2012 : 1:49 a.m.
Tom i will miss you a bunch. you always treated me like a friend and i was a friend. the golf people and the uofm will surely miss you. take care friend.