Simon Olivas, Jr Obituary (1959

In loving memory of a brother and uncle who will be truly missed. It is with great sadness that the family of Simon Olivas, Jr. announce his unexpected passing on December 27, 2021, in Yakima, WA due to cardiac arrest. Simon Jr was born on April 10, 1959, in Yakima, WA to Simon Olivas, Sr. and Carlene (Bisconer) Olivas. He was raised in the Yakima Valley and attended East Valley High School. Simon Jr graduated from East Valley in 1977. He played baseball throughout high school and was a great leadoff hitter. Once he was on base, he'd steal second and then be coming in to score. In Simon's junior year he signed up with the United States Navy's Early Enlistment Buddy Program with classmate Ray Perry. He had a stellar military career, receiving excellent marks on his evaluations. Simon received the Navy Expeditionary medal for periods of (Iranian/Yemen/Indian Ocean), November 21, 1979 to February 26, 1980 and August 19, 1980 to September 30, 1980, The Navy E. Ribbon for period July 1, 1977 to December 31, 1978 and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. He is a veteran of the 1991 Gulf War. During his time in the Navy, he was able to see many countries. Some of his favorite places were the Philippines, Japan and Australia. Simon retired with the rank of Petty Officer Ill. After retiring from the Navy, Simon Jr returned home to the Yakima Valley. He was looking forward to spending time with his family after being gone in the Navy. Once he was home, he went back to the ranch he worked on as a kid. He was able to watch the summer hop harvest and visit with the guys who still worked there. Throughout Simon Jr's school age years, he and his brother Gary would help their father Simon Sr at B.T. Loftus Ranch. During their time on the ranch, there were a few tractors that had to be pulled out of ditches or mud due to the antics of Simon and Gary; each blaming the other for what happened. They all enjoyed the summer hop harvest; although it was a lot of hard work, they really enjoyed working together. After a hard day's work, Miner burgers were the go-to food for Simon Jr, or should I say the double miner burger was his go to food! Along with a nice big shake! Sitting still was definitely not in Simon's DNA. Soon after returning home, he was looking for something he would enjoy doing for work. He started working at Argus Security, then for Phoenix Protective Corporation, a company that turned into his extended family. Work ethic was another trait that Simon exhibited no matter what he was doing, something he would say his father instilled in him as a young boy! Simon continued to grow in that through his adult life, missing maybe two days of work EVER. He was proud of this fact and always strived to give 110% to his employers. Simon Jr was a music connoisseur with tastes that included Creedence Clearwater Rival, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Simon had many passions which included airplanes, ships, baseball, the JFK assassination, world history and politics, racing cars, chasing after crop duster airplanes, watching the yearly hop harvest at the B.T. Loftus-Smith Hop Ranch as permitted, and his pet cats. He enjoyed sharing these passions with his family. Simon, Jr. had a sharp memory and an eye for detail which made him an excellent storyteller. He appreciated good humor. Simon's compassion for felines led him to work with feral cats. He tamed several cats so well and they trusted him so much, when one had kittens, the momma cat would bring her babies to Simon. He made her up in a nice condo, aka, a cardboard box with all the fuzzy blankets, food and water she needed to stay healthy and feed her babies. Simon beamed when he talked about his four-legged babies. There are four of them, Ladybird, Jackie, Bangle and Baby Boy. Simon became their person and means of survival when their mother was hit by a car. Simon met a lady named Cyd who helps with the Spay and Neuter Clinic at the Yakima Humane Society. Simon started working with her, he would humanely trap feral cats then Cyd would take them to get fixed and vetted. After the cats would be returned to the same location to be working cats, keeping unwanted critters away from businesses. Simon's work with feral cats was very rewarding for him. He looked forward to the time he spent with his cats. His brother Gary and his family have been looking after his fur babies. They were Simon's heart. Simon Olivas Jr was preceded in death by his mother Carlene Olivas (Bisconer), father Simon Olivas and stepmother Dolores Olivas, aunts and uncles Delfina and Eusebio Sanchez, John and Mary Olivas, Cruz and Nora Olivas, grandparents Walter and Frances Bisconer, Leonardo and Manuelita Olivas. Simon Jr. is survived by his brothers Gary (Misty) Olivas and Shane Olivas, his sisters Cindy Olivas and Cindy Magruder (Russ Gutheridge), nephews Gabriel Lepe, Adrian Lepe, and Tyler Olivas, nieces Nadia (McClure) Tosch, Chelsea Olivas and Kristen (Justin) John, several great nieces and nephews Hailey and Dylan Tosch, Tyler John, Ethan and Emily Lochowicz, cousins Gloria Worley, Teresa Herber, Joe Sanchez and many more. He will also be dearly missed by his lifelong friend Pauline (Bob) Helms. A Memorial Service will be held at Brookside Funeral Home (500 W. Prospect, Moxee, WA 98936) on Saturday, January 29, 2022 at 9:00am. Burial will be following the service at Tahoma Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Yakima Humane Society Spay and Neuter Clinic earmarked for the "Feral Cat Program" and the McAllister Museum, sent in care of Brookside Funeral Home (PO Box 1267, Moxee, WA 98936) who is caring for the family. We love you and are grateful for the many wonderful family holidays and get togethers we celebrated throughout the years. They are our memories, and they will always be cherished fondly. "Simon, may you rest in peace knowing that clocks and work schedules are no longer necessary." Click to View LIVE Service Memorial Service Brookside Funeral Home and Crematory (Yakima) Saturday, January 29, 2022 9:00 AM 500 W Prospect Moxee, Washington 98936 Graveside Service Tahoma Cemetery Saturday, January 29, 2022 11:00 AM 1802 Tahoma Avenue Yakima, Washington 98902