I lost a good friend last week, in the passing of Simon DeSoto.
The longtime lockmaster at Matagorda and radio personality left a lasting memory for those of us who knew him well.
Simon was a life-long resident of Matagorda County, growing up in Matagorda and later graduating from Bay City High School.
I will always remember Simon for the type of friend he was to me and many others.
Friendship to him was far more than skin deep.
He stayed in touch in times of despair and did favors for you without being asked.
I first got to know him when I was at the other paper well over 25 years ago.
He would come by and check on me during my ordeal with cancer.
By then, he’d gone through his own trials of health problem and understood how taxing serious illness could be.
Over the past decade, we would travel over the area covering the away football games for Bay City, Tidehaven and Van Vleck regular season and playoffs.
I should point out that most of that travel was courtesy of Simon.
He would pick me up in Bay City and we would meet Tommy Griffin in Wharton, where he would drive from his home in Sugar Land to meet us. Tommy worked with Simon in the Happy Radio radio game coverage.
When you travel over that many miles with someone you learn a lot about their life.
I learned about Simon’s childhood in Matagorda and his years of service with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the Matagorda Locks.
We shared a passion for playing softball when we were younger men and since we were only a few years apart an affinity for the common cultural experiences we had growing up and beyond.
He had a wealth of interests in the life he shared with his wife Diana.
His cooking comes to mind as he enjoyed cooking – particularly his bananda nut bread and cobblers.
Perhaps his love for bird photography is something many of us will remember Simon.
He certainly gave you a wonderful sense of the numbers and beauty of the birds we have in Matagorda County.
Most of all was his friendship.
We had our disagreements, as all friends have, but nothing really affected the ties that bound us together.
He was a giving and considerate friend who will be missed in the lives of MaLinda and I.
Fare thee well Simon.