Terry Simon; Realtor, Former Cosmetologist

Terry Simon, a Realtor and longtime area resident, died Friday at her Westlake Village home following a brief illness. She was 73.

An only child, Simon was born June 10, 1923, in Newburyport, Mass., and grew up in Chicago. In 1935, she and her grandmother moved to Los Angeles, and Simon never left Southern California, said her daughter, Kathy Mehringer of West Hills.

Simon became a cosmetologist and eventually taught cosmetology.

“She owned her own beauty shop and a beauty college for a while,” Mehringer said. “She even owned a bar. The Cagey Cat in Reseda.”

Mehringer said her mother took up oil painting and spent many years capturing seascapes, still lifes and nature scenes.

In 1975, Simon got into real estate. She had been with HomeStar Realty in Hidden Hills for at least 15 years and continued to work there until October.

Simon taught her children that family values are a priority, Mehringer said. “Working hard and constantly were a necessity. Complaining was useless, she’d say, because it didn’t help you and no one cared anyway.

“She didn’t tolerate people who were negative. If somebody complained, she’d say, ‘Get a job. Work will set you free,’ ” Mehringer said.

In addition to Mehringer, Simon is survived by daughters Lisa Ben-Ami of Pacific Palisades and Dr. Michelle Simon of Moorpark; sons Charles Kennedy of Huntington Beach and Patrick Simon of San Francisco; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Services will be held Jan. 8 at 1:30 p.m. at Valley Oaks Chapel, Westlake Village. Interment will follow at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Mortuary, Westlake Village.