Three more Pittsburgh shooting victims were laid to rest on Thursday: married couple Sylvan and Bernice Simon – 86 and 84 respectfully – and Dr. Richard Gottfried, 65.
The Simons had been married for 62 years, and were married at the Tree of Life synagogue. They were regular attendees at the synagogue.
Sylvan was a retired accountant and military veteran who enjoyed watching sports, particularly the Pittsburgh Pirates, and cracking jokes Bernice, a former nurse, was an avid cook who enjoyed going with her daughter, Michele Simon Weis, to sample food at Costco, engaging in philanthropy and listening to classical music.
“She was always there for me,” Weis said at her parents’ funeral. “She was my very best friend.”
The couple was known for being warm and friendly; for instance, they’d hold hands as they wave at the children playing baseball nearby the synagogue.
Their house was also adorned with “Support Our Troops” and “God Bless America” stickers as well as a picture of Mount Rushmore emblazoned with the words “America the Beautiful.”
The entire Simon family was planning on getting together for a family birthday celebration after the Saturday morning services at Tree of Life, but the celebration never occurred due to the shooting.
“Let’s take my parents’ great love, admiration and understanding for each other, which they shared with all of us, to serve as a beacon of light for everyone to shine throughout the world in an attempt to mitigate – and ultimately eliminate – the kind of hatred that fostered this horrific event,” Marc Simon, the son of Sylvan and Bernice, said at the funeral.
Dr. Richard Gottfried was a dentist who was planning for retirement before the shooting occurred. He and his wife, Dr. Margaret “Peg” Durachko, ran private dental practices together as well as volunteered at free dental clinics.
Gottfried was a father-like figure to many, including to his grand-nephew, Jacob, 16, whose father died when he was 9.
“When my dad passed away, he was really supportive in that time and he was just an awesome person to talk to and be around,” Jacob told Time.
Gottfried was also a lover of wine and University of Pittsburgh sports teams.
“Evil took him away,” Durachko told station WTAE through a friend. “And she wants people to know that the only way we can honor Rich is to start destroying that evil when we see it in our own lives, and start filling it with love, filling it with service, and trying to make a difference. And that will be Rich’s legacy.”
