Update: Sad news- The loss of a hero- Dr. Fred Simeone
As reported on the Simeone Automobile Museum website, the legendary Dr. Fred Simeone has died at the age of 86 last Saturday. We all have lost a great friend and true gentleman.
May his memories and love comfort the Simeone family and his friends during this difficult time.
Howard
Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum
The Loss of Our Hero
Late last evening, as the first rays of light began to appear on the Mulsanne Straight, we lost our hero and champion, Dr. Frederick Simeone. Mere words cannot convey our overwhelming grief and sadness, nor can they express what this great man meant to so many people.
We will have more to say in the coming days and weeks, but we do find comfort and meaning in the fact that our friend passed in the midst of his beloved Le Mans, and we know his spirit is now eternally driving along with the legends he considered to be his heroes.
Godspeed, Dr. Simeone. We will always love you and miss you. Thank you for the gifts you have given this world. There will never be another man like you.
The Obituary of Dr. Frederick Anthony Simeone
(June 8, 1936 – June 11, 2022)
Dr. Frederick Anthony Simeone (86) of Philadelphia passed away peacefully while surrounded by family on Saturday evening at Pennsylvania Hospital, a place he considered a second home.
Frederick grew up in the Kensington & Allegheny neighborhood of Philadelphia and attended Thomas Edison High School. He received a college scholarship to Temple University and continued there for medical school before completing residencies at the Mayo Clinic and University of Pennsylvania. He performed research and neurosurgery as full-time faculty at Harvard University Medical school, later becoming Chairman of Neurosurgery at Pennsylvania Hospital for over 25 years. As Chief of Neurosurgery at Jefferson Medical College, Dr. Simeone convinced the Wills Eye Institute in cooperation with Thomas Jefferson University to provide space for specialized neurosurgical procedures such as stereotaxis, interventional radiology, and complex spine surgery. He performed original research on cerebral vasospasm and published widely on a broad array of neurosurgical topics, including the seminal textbook on spinal surgery, The Spine, co-authored with Dr. Richard Rothman.
After intense days of performing and preparing for surgery, Fred relaxed with automotive research. He methodically investigated and procured vehicles he considered works of art, growing the four cars inherited from his father to a collection of over 75 rare antiques. Fred established the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in 2008, donating his collection of racing sports cars and automobile literature for posterity and public display. His museum was recognized as the best in the world by the Classic Car Trust (2019), International Car Museum of the Year by the Octane Awards (2017), and Car Museum of the Year by the International Historic Motoring Awards (2011). His Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe was the first car to be placed on the National Historic Vehicle Register (2014) and his book on automobile preservation was named publication of the year by the International Historic Motoring Awards (2013). The quality of the collection is attributed to his preservation philosophy (restore not rebuild), focus on vehicles with racing histories, and the collection’s uniting theme, “The Spirit of Competition”. Owing to his interest in genetics, this theme reflects his fascination with the evolution of vehicle design to win competitions during the first decades of the automobile.
Dr. Simeone was a Major in the U.S. Army and was knighted (Cavaliere) by the president of the republic of Italy.
In addition to his many achievements, he was a kind-hearted, warm, and relatable person with a fantastic sense of humor, who would do anything to help a friend in need. Importantly, Fred was the best father in the world. Despite his busy schedule and intense responsibilities, he managed to always make his daughter feel loved and that she was his number-one priority. He taught his daughter how to be an ethical person, the importance of finding a career with passion, the necessity of giving back, and the joy of optimistic hard work. He listened on the phone for hours when she needed to talk and helped guide her through every challenge until she learned to guide herself.
Frederick is survived by his daughter (Christina Simeone, PhD), son-in-law (Jonathan Burton), and granddaughter (Alessandra Burton).
A public memorial for Dr. Simeone will be held on Thursday, June 16 at the
Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum
6825 Norwitch Drive
Philadelphia, PA 19153
Please visit anytime from 3 pm to 7 pm.
If you would like to record a video or written message for Dr. Simeone’s friends and family, you can do so here.
Comments
Fred was a grand fellow, totally consumed by his love of auto racing and inspired to collect cars and original sales literature and books on cars by his father who had a collection of cars and was also a Doctor. I knew Fred for 50+ years - we would always spend time together sharing what treasures we bought/found at the Hershey swap meet car show when there was a blue field ( now when the roller coasters are)
I mentioned to him a hard bound book that was printed in Europe in the 1930s about racing that he had never heard of (!) and through my “spies” and contacts there managed to get about 3 or 4 for him as one was issued each year. He was very very happy with that. A genuine enthusiast - ( much like Howard Kroplick is) who cared so much about the history of cars and the connection that the period items made for us. Not about any $ value , it was the history connection always. He was so thrilled when his daughter was born, had her wrapped up in a white blanket and with him at the flea market at Hershey so she could “meet” his friends. God Speed Fred, it was an honor to be your friend.
Howard,
Sorry about the loss of your friend and the impact it will have as collectors. Thank you for sharing Fred’s values..
Mark Thomas
Thank you Howard for bringing Dr. Simeone to the attention of those who did not know of him or his beautiful automobile collection and museum. I had been there a few times before the pandemic as a vendor for the Philly area model car club’s annual March shows. I was fortunate enough to have a brief handshake and a few words of thanks to Dr. Simeone. Such a nice gentleman and expert in the fields of medicine and vintage racing automobiles.
The fact that his museum presents vintage racing cars (for the most part) and actually stages demonstration runs makes this a unique place for automotive enthusiasts to visit.
The first time l was there working the model car show, the museum presented their Daytona Cobra, Ford GT Mk. Il and Mk. lV in the back lot. I couldn’t have been more thrilled, as the Ford GT program has been very special to me since the age of 10, when l first starting reading news of the cars as they were being developed. Then, this past June 4th, l spent the better part of the day attending a wonderful program at the museum entitled “Birth of the Ford GT”—WOW! My brother and two of our motorsports friends left Long Island early that morning, and we were NOT disappointed! I would have taken the trip alone, just to see, for the first time in my life, an actual Lola Mk. 6, Eric Broadly’s successful little GT racer that the Ford GT Mk. I was based on. The bonus was that the current owner of this car (Prototype #1!), was a gentleman named Allen Grant, a early Shelby team driver and later mechanic on the iconic Mk. IV Le Mans cars. He was a pleasure to speak to, and answered many questions about a car of which models were my very first successful slot car racers in the 1960s! There were three other speakers as well, afterwhich all four cars, the Lola Mk.6, and Ford GTs Mk l, Mk. Il, and Mk. IV were fired up and driven right out onto the backlot for everyone to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of these beautiful racers as they were slowly lapped around!
All this was made possible by the passion and vision of Dr. Simeone and his terrific museum staff. And it was a shame he wasn’t able to attend that day, a foreshadowing of the sad news that followed the next week. He will be greatly missed not only by friends and family, but by his extended family of motorsport enthusiasts whose lives he touched. I will continue to visit this wonderful place many more times in the future.
Thank you so very much Dr. Simeone, rest in peace.
Ernie Finamore
That Tucker event in the last picture, I was there, the group were on a dais and Dr. Simeone was the moderator, I asked “why the was the Tucker air cool engine like most rear engine of the time was converted to water cool’? Mark Liberman answered in a long reply that went over my head, oh well. Later outside in the rear of the building a demo of the Tucker being driven around. At some point I toured the museum collection, impressive! What will happen to the museum now that Dr. Simone had pass on?
I never met him, but 10 years ago we somehow found our way to his museum and his amazing collection. Though all that pales next to all the good he did as a doctor.