A.V. FAIR IS STILL CLOSE TO HEART.

Byline: BETTIE RENCORET Senior columnist

PALMDALE - One of the Antelope Valley Fair's greatest boosters is Pat Simi, who spent three terms on its board of directors, from 1973 to 1985.

She speaks fondly of those years, saying she enjoyed her assignments as director in charge of the Home Economics division and the Community Queens.

``Those were fun things for me to do,'' she said. ``We had a lot of participation, and the displays of canned goods, baked items and sewing projects were always great. People were proud of their homemaking skills. And, of course, the queens were always a pleasure to work with.''

In 1973, Simi, received her first appointment to the Fair Board from Gov. Ronald Reagan, and, when that four-year term was up, she was re-appointed by Gov. Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown Jr. Her third appointment was also made by Brown.

``After that third four-year term, I didn't apply for another appointment. I stepped down in 1985,'' she said.

Simi and her late husband, Roy, believed wholeheartedly in supporting their community.

He served on the Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency board, was a director of the Antelope Valley Bank and was a member of the Farmer's Insurance board of governors for 27 years.

They had been married almost 46 years when he died Dec. 23, 2000.

Even though she hasn't been on the fair board for 17 years, she hasn't lost interest in what was so dear to her heart for so long. She still loves all of the events and especially the concerts. She's gone to the fair almost every day this year.

Simi was born in Houston and came to Eagle Rock with her family in 1920.

She graduated from Eagle Rock High School and attended Los Angeles City College for two years before enrolling in the University of California at Los Angeles as a history major.

When World War II erupted, she went to Oregon, where she worked in Medford as a ticket agent for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Later, she worked for Trans World Airlines for 10 years.

Roy Simi, a rancher, came to the Antelope Valley from Laguna Beach with his family in 1918. Raffaello Simi, his father, had a ranch in the beach city but brought his family to the desert to get them settled because he expected to be called into the military.

``Of course, the armistice was signed, and he didn't have to go,'' said Pat Simi.

The only civilian occupation Roy Simi had was ranching, but that had to be put on hold in 1942 while he went into an Army heavy artillery unit. He served in the Italian campaign and was released in 1946 as a first lieutenant.

Pat and Roy met in 1952 through the Elks, when he was Exalted Ruler of the Lancaster Elks Lodge and Pat's brother was the Exalted Ruler of the Pomona lodge. Both had to attend the national convention, held that year in New York.

``My brother had ordered a new Pontiac from Detroit, but he was going to the convention on the Elks train, so he needed someone to pick up his car,'' she said. ``I was working for TWA at the time, so I said I could fly to Michigan, pick up the car for him and drive it to New York, then he could drive it home.''

Pat's sister-in-law thought if Pat was going to go to New York, she ought to be able to attend the Elks convention functions for women. But she needed the appropriate credentials, so her sister-in-law finagled a deal.

``There I was at the convention, with all the things I needed, and wearing a name tag that said I was Mrs. Roy Simi, before I'd ever met him,'' she laughed.

It was a good arrangement. Three years later, on Jan. 15, 1955, they were married in Pomona by the Rev. Charles Kehoe Kennedy, long time pastor of Sacred Heart Church.

``Our son, Giovanni, was the third baby born in Antelope Valley Hospital,'' she said.

Giovanni still lives in Lancaster with his wife, the former Janine Jaqua, and his two children, Tylor, 18, and Shenin, 16. His younger sister, Victoria Gross, lives in Downey.

Simi loves to spend time with her grandchildren.

``I make it a point to attend their tennis matches and baseball games,'' she said.

She volunteers once a week at Antelope Valley Hospital, and every year helps at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve.

She served on the Eastside Union School District board for 12 years and was on the board of directors for the Women's Southern California Golf Association for four years. She was president of the local Republican Women's Club twice, belongs to the Rosamond/Lancaster joint Chambers of Commerce, Emblem Club 76 and the Lancaster Woman's Club.

``I don't do much anymore,'' she said. ``I just pay my dues. But I do express my opinions to my political representatives and I always vote.''

Menus for the week at the senior life nutrition sites in Lancaster, Palmdale and South Valley have been announced. All meals include bread, margarine and coffee, tea or milk for a suggested donation of $2.

Monday: Labor Day

Tuesday: Polish sausage, parsleyed potatoes, cooked cabbage, garden salad, tapioca pudding.

Wednesday: Beef tips and noodles, broccoli, lettuce and tomato salad, juice, peaches.

Thursday: Turkey and gravy, bread dressing, Normandy vegetables, tossed salad, pineapple juice, gelatin with fruit.

Friday: Creole chicken or fish fillet, rice pilaf, beets, creamy coleslaw, orange.

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Photo:

Longtime area resident Pat Simi proudly served three terms on the board of directors of the Antelope Valley Fair.

Bettie Rencoret/Special to the Daily News