Simon Biejo's Obituary
It is with sorrow and celebration that we share the peaceful passing of Simon Biejo, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and brother, who joined the Lord on April 7, 2025, while surrounded by his family. Having entered into his final and glorious rest, Simon leaves a legacy of love, faithfulness, and sacrifice that will be treasured by his family and friends.
Born on September 3, 1939, to Eutiquio Bejo and Concordia Barcenas, in Albay, Philippines, Simon was the eldest of five; and from a young age, he wholly committed himself to his family's well-being. As a child, he was pulled from school and worked long days of field labor to help his family subsist in World War II poverty during the Japanese occupation, frequently acting as a second provider to his mom and younger siblings. Despite these struggles, Simon taught himself how to read, worked hard to support his parents, excelled as a scholar, and became the first in his family to graduate from Far Eastern University in Manila. Thereafter, Simon continued his graduate studies. While pursuing his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and serving as an assistant professor, he met a gifted physics student, Lita, who became his life-long travel partner, dream builder, and wife of 60 years. Together, they embarked on an adventure that began with their immigration to the United States and continued throughout the world for the remainder of their lives.
With his engineering degree, Simon quickly rose in rank and recognition at Pacific Bell (now AT&T), where he spent his entire career in telecommunications and retired after 30 years. But as a true Renaissance man, Simon saw new opportunities and challenges to apply his craftsmanship, agricultural knowledge, scholarly studies, and entrepreneurial spirit, and chose to become a gentleman farmer when he and Lita purchased a 20 acre avocado ranch in 1987, which they named "Rancho Biejo." There, Simon realized his life dream of being an American rancher, proud of his ability to grow, sell, and share the literal fruits of his labor, while fully decked out in his favorite cowboy boots & hat, flannels and of course, a shot gun.
Simon lived for spending time with family and friends, hosting large get-togethers, weekend retreats, reunions, picnics, and shooting parties at the ranch. He loved devoting his skills as a craftsman to designing and building works for his family's enjoyment, from chicken coops to pig pens, carports to garden ponds, from a playhouse for his grandson to an outdoor tiki bar for family gatherings. You name it, Simon could build it. He enjoyed sharing everything he had with others, whether it was his talents or time. He was always quick with a joke to put a smile on your face, enjoyed witty chats with a cold beer, and sent every guest home with bags of fresh fruit that he had personally picked for them that day.
When Simon wasn't laboring on homestead improvement, he and Lita were traveling to every country they could get to and managed to see well over 110 of them. But no matter where Simon went, he resolutely believed that America was the best country in the world. His patriotism in his adopted country ran deep and true, and he often wore baseball caps emblazoned with the emblem of various US military agencies and regularly donated his time and money to campaigns and charities for causes he supported.
Simon's greatest generosity was shown at home. A kind, patient, and supportive husband, father, and grandfather, he always put his wife and children first. His deepest pleasure came from having his family together, whether it was simply group watching an old classic movie, enjoying a family dinner of kare kare and cherimoya, or hanging out on the couch while quietly reading among the stacks of novels he had picked up from Goodwill and hoarded around the home. To Simon, no matter what he had accomplished, or where he had travelled, or how far he had come, his utmost joy came from living each day with gratitude, fully recognizing God's blessings and sharing those blessings with his loved ones. He will live on in our hearts and in the cherished memories we made with him.
Simon leaves behind his adored wife Lita, his sons Richard and Rod, daughters Roxanne and Rebecka, grandson Josh, and sons-in-laws Dennis and Jay.
Visitation and viewing with the family will be on April 24, 2025, at Ivy Lawn Mortuary. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at United Methodist Church in Moorpark, California. We invite all those who knew Simon to join us in celebrating a life well lived and loved.
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