Frances "Fran" Pamela (Brown) King Simko

“Every once in a while a person enters your life and you are changed forever.”   That person was Frances P. “Fran” King Simko!!

With broken hearts, we share the news that on Saturday, July 29, 2023, our mom, Gram, and Mama2, Frances P. “Fran” King Simko, passed away peacefully in her home with her family right next to her. The Lord had a welcoming committee of her boys waiting for her as she arrived. She was the only child of Charlotte A. (Corey) and Clarence M. Brown of Binghamton, NY, born on September 16, 1928, and at 94 years of age, “she informed all she was not going to be here for her 95th.” She was the strongest, most courageous, “stubborn”, and loving woman we have ever known.

Fran was employed with Automation Services in both Endicott and Sayre, which brought her to the Valley with her kids to live. With the closing of Automation, Fran began her career with the Robert Packer Hospital as a Nurses’ Aide, which spanned 34 years, prior to her retirement in 1992. During that time, her patient care and dedication to her job was admired and respected by all. Along the way, many nurses attest to the fact that just by watching her work ethics and how she was with the patients and staff, they themselves gained much knowledge to further their careers. She never wanted the spotlight for herself, she dedicated her whole life to serving others. She made many lifetime friendships during her working career and because her life was one of a servant who loved and cared she saw many of her friends through serious illnesses. She and her husband, Andy, moved into the PeaceDale Mobile Home Court after their marriage, and became the Caretakers. And a caretaker she was as she tended to every person there no matter their needs and was also their friend. She remained the Caretaker of the Court at the time of her death, continuing to mow, take care of the maintenance needs and bookkeeping.

Her dedication to the emergency services began when she lived in the Montrose area and belonged to the Snake Creek Fire Company. Fran’s children quickly got involved after watching her. She was a volunteer who always gave more than her share and would do anything to help the companies out. Fran could be seen every Tuesday working BINGO and whenever they were called into service, she would be on the active end delivering drinks and food or at the fire station waiting for them to return to provide them with refreshments but mostly to give them one of her famous hugs and support. Her pride in each of them at all the Valley Companies was shown by her love to every one of them. She was Firemom to one and all of the Valley Companies, and loved by everyone of the members. She was a Lifetime Member of the Athens Township Volunteer Fire Company and received the Fund Raiser of the Year Award in 1999 and the ATVFC President’s Award in 2009 for her years of hard work, dedication, and support.  

Fran was a loyal member of the Endless Mountain Draft Horse Club since 1994. She served as Director in the past and attended all of the events which included Corn Days and Plow Days with her son and his Belgians. She was looking forward to seeing the new boys, Red and Buddy, come home from their training. She also loved all animals but especially her grand dogs Jill, Isit, Sade, and Sassy.

She was the most Patriotic woman ever. Fran would stand in her living room every time the National Anthem would be played on the TV or if she was where it was, she didn’t hesitate to inform all to stand and be quiet while it was being played. Her pride in the military was visible every day, but always in her family who served in the past and those still serving. She took every chance she could to brag about each and every one of them.

And every Sunday, when it was NASCAR season, there was quiet except for the sound of the engines. Racing was in the family DNA as her sons and grandsons raced locally, from start to finish. It became a family event for all to attend and cheer on our winners whether they were in the winner’s circle or not.  From the beginning, she was a Survivor addict on TV and on Wednesday evenings if you wanted to speak to her, it better be prior to the 8pm. She kept a journal and could tell you the name of every person for every season. She loved going out to breakfast and dinner especially to her favorite spots, the Blackburn and OIP. Her children would be waiting outside for her to be done conversing with those she knew and those she didn’t. As soon as she came out, the first question was “Did you get their blood type and DNA?” She was the “Bookface Queen”, loved her old-time country and polka music, arts and crafts which her family now will treasure and word search. Her kindness and graciousness extended to everyone whether she knew you or not. There are no words that can fully describe who Fran was and she is looking down at us now glaring at this lengthy obituary but for us her family, it is one way for us to honor her. She like the rest of us in this family, has a sense of humor that as we say is shady and so we know she will figure a way to get back at us eventually.

All of those awaiting her were her parents whom she loved dearly, her beloved husband of 18 years Andrew G. “Andy” Simko, her boys Ralph R. “Dick” King, James M. “Jim” King, and Leroy and his wife Susan Simko, son-in-law Burton Turner, grandson Brandon Steward, granddaughter Jennifer Gay Capacetti, great-grandsons Luca James King and Carter Capacetti, great-granddaughter Egypt Harris, aunt Carol Sherman, and her cousins Dorothy and Carol.

Those left here to move forward honoring her and missing her are her kids Rev. Linda Lou (King) Rogers of East Athens, PA, William J. “Joe” and Linda King of East Athens, PA, and Mary Anne (King) Turner and Johnny Hutchens of Dundee, NY, daughter-in-law whom was another daughter Barbara “Barb” King of Montrose, PA, her grandchildren whom she loved dearly Richard “Rich” King, Melissa and Brent Dodge, Pamela L. “Pam” and Cliff McCabe, Michelle and Brian Steward, Steve and Melissa Belles, Tammy Belles, Sean Belles, Tami Jo ?, Jamie and Crystal Houser, Devin and Amanda King, Nicky and Vickie King, Jason Ladd and Becky Rossman, Cora Turner, Jessi Turner, Clara and Leon LaBarr, Mary Renee Primerano, Steven Simko, and Tina and Tim Neimi, her great-grandchildren who were the light of her life Andie Lynn, April, Garrett, Mason, Philip and Tiffany, Paige, Sydney, Logan, Andrew, Kristopher, Amber, Andrianna, Miranda, Stevie, Matt, Madeline, Courtney, Troy, Dillon, Tenzing, Dustin James, Isaac Luca James, Joshua, Olivia, Aldomond, Lisa, Tiffany, Laura, DeShawn, Xavier, Phebe, Zade, Anthony, Kirsty, Logan, Joey, Michelle, Taylor, Jonathan, Donald, Vladimire, Sebastian, Bexley, Anthony and Callie, Shawn and Lille, Joshua and Tess, and Charlie and Donna, and her great-great grandchildren whose hugs, smiles, and talks she waited for Skyler, Daniella Frances “her namesake”, Andrie, Pipher, Payton, Tallulah, Norah, Genisis, John, Jada, Omar, Omarion, Jovanna, Kingston, Austin, Kennedy, Savannah, Raegan, and Warren, and her anticipation of waiting to welcome 3 more babies in the family in the near future. She also leaves behind her cousins whom were like her siblings, Charlotte, Butch, Milton, Mark and their families, her extended family Pat and Ed Yonkin and their children, the “Lunch Bunch”, all of the members of every fire company in the Valley area the GVEMS Staff, and numerous friends that would take up the whole newspaper as if this obituary hasn’t already done so.  

Anyone that knew Fran, would know that she would never want the spotlight on her, and as she informed us her kids, “I want “No Formal Funeral” so in keeping with that, please join the family on Saturday, August 5, 2023 from 11am–5pm at the Jim King Memorial Park, 550-998 Glenn Valley Road, East Athens, PA for a time of enjoying Fran’s favorite foods and reminiscing about the “good ole days’ as she would have said. The family is being cared for by her friends at Lowery-Urban Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc., Athens, PA, which she was very much a part of on many occasions.

Please, In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations may be made in Fran’s name to T2T (Tunnel to Towers), 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10306 or www.t2t.org in keeping with her pride in the military and emergency services or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, or 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or  www.stjude.org  to honor her love for “kids”.

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