Skip to main content

John Simons, 69

Wed, 05/29/2024 - 18:58

June 3, 1954 - May 15, 2024

John Simons, a commercial fisherman known to friends as Johnny Angel, died on May 15 in Virginia Beach. The cause was emphysema and lung cancer. He was 69.

Mr. Simons, who lived in Montauk until 2010, had worked aboard the commercial fishing vessels Restless and Seacapture, among others, and had been a mate on charter boats including Adios and Vivienne. Outside of work he was a fluke fisherman.

He was “goofy and silly,” his family said, and enjoyed a good prank.

After leaving Montauk, he lived for five years in Queens, then eight in Babylon, before moving to Virginia Beach last year.

Family and friends will celebrate his life with a farewell fishing trip open to all on the Ebb Tide out of Montauk on Monday at 7 a.m.

Mr. Simons was born in Massapequa on June 3, 1954, to Wilbur Simons and the former Juanita Smith.

He is survived by two daughters, Loralyn Nicole Simons and Tanya Simons of Virginia Beach, a brother, Edward Simons of Blythewood, S.C., and his former wife, Donna Simons, also of Virginia Beach.

His siblings Thomas Simons, Scott Simons, and Veronica Simons Sokolovic Pierce died before him.

Villages

Volunteers Take Up Invasives War at Morton

Most people go to the Elizabeth Morton Wildlife Refuge in Noyac, part of the National Wildlife Refuge system, to feed the friendly birds. On Saturday, however, 15 people showed up instead to rip invasive plants out of the ground.

Apr 24, 2025

Item of the Week: Wild Times at Jungle Pete’s

A highlight among Springs landmarks, here is a storied eatery and watering hole that served countless of the hamlet’s residents, including the Abstract Expressionist painter Jackson Pollock.

Apr 24, 2025

The Sweet Smell of Nostalgia at Sagaponack General

Stepping into the new Sagaponack General Store, which reopened yesterday after being closed since 2020, is a sweet experience, and not just because there’s a soft-serve ice cream station on the left and what promises to be the biggest penny candy selection on the South Fork on your right, but because it’s like seeing an old friend who, after some struggle, made it big. Really, really big.

Apr 17, 2025

 

Your support for The East Hampton Star helps us deliver the news, arts, and community information you need. Whether you are an online subscriber, get the paper in the mail, delivered to your door in Manhattan, or are just passing through, every reader counts. We value you for being part of The Star family.

Your subscription to The Star does more than get you great arts, news, sports, and outdoors stories. It makes everything we do possible.