Lisa Payne Simon

Lisa Payne Simon of Arlington, passed away peacefully, surrounded with love while in a deep sleep on Wednesday morning, March 13. She had been fighting cancer for six years while always living the life she wanted to live, bringing great joy, happiness, and purpose to family, friends, to her meaningful work and for herself.

Lisa was a loving mother to Jack and Julia Simon, and the beloved wife of Dana Simon. She is also survived by her loving family, including sister Cheryl Fujimoto, her mother in law, Peg Cornwall, and her sisters and brothers in law, beloved cousins, her many great friends of ever growing numbers, and her trusty dog Pemi. She was preceded in death by her parents Mary (McMahon) Payne and Frank Payne.

Lisa’s friends and family from coast to coast and around the world treasured her for her unconditional love, for her superpower of seeing the best things that lie at the heart of each person, and for her fierce unshakable loyalty to family and friends. In the 28 days she spent in the hospital before she passed, friends, family and the wonderful hospital staff often said had never seen a person so consistently surrounded by love and support, and that it was a tribute to her.

Born in South Boston, Lisa graduated from Belmont High School, attended UC Santa Cruz, and received degrees from Brown University and Berkeley. She lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for 20 years, until she moved with Dana, Jack and Julia back to the Boston area. Always a devoted and loving Mom, Lisa spent countless hours cheering on Jack and Julia through school and sports.

As a committed public health advocate, Lisa devoted her work life to projects in the U.S. and in developing nations, beginning with the Coping Project in San Francisco at the height of the AIDS epidemic, to most recently coordinating projects to support caregivers and seniors, including the Memory Café Project and The Exhale Project of The Philanthropic Initiative of the Boston Foundation.

A celebration of Lisa’s life will be held at the Brown & Hickey Funeral Home 36 Trapelo Road Belmont on Friday March 22 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM. A funeral mass will be held in St Joseph Church 128 Common Street Belmont on Saturday at 10:00 AM. All friends and relatives are invited. Following the service, there will be a gathering at the Stockyard Restaurant from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm at 135 Market Street, Brighton, MA.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made in her memory to Doctors Without Borders. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

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