Simon Frei was born December 31, 1971 in Mannheim Germany. He departed this life on February 2, 2019, in Fountain, Colorado. Simon leaves behind two beautiful daughters, Victoria Hacker and Nikolette Frei. He is also survived by his loving mother, Gudrun Lyons, and four sisters; Gabrielle Bearsheart, Manuela Parades, Angela Micensky, and Jessica Lyons. Simon also had many adoring nieces and nephews; Ileen Hoekman, Corina Parades, Samantha Epler, Varinia Lyons, Ashley Micensky, Sabrina Paredes, Nathaniel Bearsheart, and Ella Bearsheart. Simon was preceded in death by his beloved father, Johnny H. Lyons, and affectionate nephew Cody James Micensky and Baby Justin Micensky.

Simon moved to the United States with his family in the early 80’s, his father having been in the Army and being stationed in Colorado. Later, the family moved to Texas where Simon graduated from Ellison High School in Killeen, Texas. After his father retired, the family moved back to Colorado and planted roots. Simon started his early adulthood at Adesa Auto Auction working in the detail shop. He later became an integral part of the paint shop throughout the years and was very talented at painting cars. After giving 19 years to the Auto Auction, Simon pursued a career in law enforcement, working for the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and following in his late father’s footsteps. He was very dedicated to doing a good job and was an amazing worker at most anything he tried to do.

Switching gears a bit, I will tell of a more personal side of Simon. I am his youngest sister and before his passing, he asked me to “remember” him. “How could I not?” I told him. And that is what the remainder of this obituary is about. I choose, as most of his loved ones do, to remember the very best of Simon, not the Simon bogged down with illness or addiction. Those too were important parts to Simon and his world. But I hope to remember the brightest of Simon, for that is how I see him today. At peace, his love and warmth shining down on us from wherever those lost to us may go.

Simon was my doting big brother. Most of our pictures from youth show us never far from one another. He looked out for me, taught me how to “be cool”, and was my very best friend. He showed me that it was always cool to “just be you” and that those who belonged in your life would accept you as such. He taught me to protect those that couldn’t defend themselves, like the handicapped or sick. He was a champion for those that may have been bullied or pushed around. He taught me the power of humor and a good laugh, being the clown in our family. He was so funny and always brought joy to our home. We would have eating competitions most dinnertimes as he would make every occasion something to have fun with. After eating too much, we would go downstairs to wrestle and get indigestion. We loved our young nieces as if they were our siblings, seizing every opportunity to play with them. He was the rambunctious young man of our family and was so very much adored. He would come in and ruin our storylines when we played Barbie’s, but we couldn’t help but laugh at his antics. Growing up, he always had my back. Wherever we went he “had my six”. He was small in stature, but audacious in attitude and determination. He loved animals, and even in illness was taking care of strays. He could be very stubborn at times. And he used to tell me I was “the brother he never had”. To this day I am not sure if he knew I am a female. Jokes aside, after he married, he had two lovely girls that he loved very much. They were his pride and joy. And later, as life changed, so did Simon. He had inner demons and struggles like we all do. Most of which he kept to himself, no doubt trying to be ‘strong’. He was much more sensitive than he cared to admit. His heart became heavy and he sought comfort in being numb.

Simon lost his way with Alcohol. After the passing of our father, things took a turn for the worse. The addiction took hold, and though he made several efforts to fight it and become the sober man he once was, the damage had been done. Simon succumbed to complications from Heart Failure and Liver Cirrhosis. When he knew of his fate, he tried to bring us all back together as a family, not knowing how to mend the hurts he had sown within his own immediate family. It seems he simply ran out of time. I wish with all my heart that things could have been different, and that he could get back to the healthy Simon we all knew and loved. Sometimes life has other plans for us. He faced his final days with bravery, never complaining, and he lost his battle shortly after his first hospice visit.

I wrote this obituary to honor the life and the loves of my brother, Simon Frei. He was far too young to leave us and had so much more to give, so many more laughs to share. Through his passing, I have learned that life is not promised and that we must cherish those that are dear to us. Don’t sweat the small stuff. In the grand scheme of things, we are not here for long, fragile beings caught up in the daily challenges we face. Life is to be lived and cherished, and shared with love and laughter. ~ He continues to teach me from beyond and he will be with me in my mind and heart forever. I am sharing my deepest thoughts of Simon with family and friends alike. He would want to be remembered. And I share that invitation with any who may take the time to read this and who have a few good memories of Simon. We all saw Simon with different eyes. This was just my vision of him. His crooked smile and goofy jokes…He wasn’t perfect, but who is? He has now paid his dues. And I hope he is at peace. For those who knew him, please take a moment…and remember him. For those who didn’t, I hope I gave you some idea of who he was and why he will be missed.

In Loving Memory…of our beloved Simon.