It is with deep sadness we report the death of long time American Legion Post 372 member WWII veteran Simon Eli Zayon.

Simon Eli Zayon, 97, passed away in Voorhees, NJ on October 3, 2023. Born in Philadelphia, he was a beloved son, husband, father, grandfather, and friend. Simon served in the Navy in World War II, joining at the age of 16. He spent most of his career running his real-estate business in Northeast Philadelphia and was also known as the Danskin man.

Simon’s huge heart brightened the day of everyone he spent time with. He loved being with his family, playing games, and making us laugh at his antics.

Simon was an active veteran and an avid pinochle player and reader who loved history. He shared the story of his time in the Navy with local schoolchildren and in a documentary called Kaddish. and was honored for his service many times. He enjoyed attending events for veterans at Mission Barbeque, where they put his photo on the wall and called him a legend.

Simon is survived by his daughters Lori De Milto, Marci Zayon, and Lisa Morrow, his son-in-law Daniel Morrow, and his grandchildren Zachary Morrow, Trevor Morrow, and Dylan Jarvis. He died on the same day as his beloved wife Zelda, 45 years apart. We will miss him greatly.

Simon was the youngest and last of five brothers, all of whom served in World War II. They all came back safely.

The funeral will be held on Friday, October 6th at 12:00 PM at Montefiore Cemetery (600 Church Road, Jenkintown, Pa.). We will celebrate Simon’s life with a party at the Morrow House afterwards, starting about 2:00 PM (1507 Pleasant Drive, Cherry Hill, N.J.).

If you’d like to honor his memory, you can make a donation in his name to the Samaritan Hospice, which provided exceptional care to him in the last days of his life (www.samaritannj.org/giving/, 855-337-2808), or the Wounded Warriors Project, (https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/).