Simon Allan Furlong

On March 8, 2019, Simon Allan Furlong died from a rare condition called AVM, Arteriovenous Malformation.

During his 30 years of life, Simon was a poet, a writer, an artist, a musician, a gourmet vegetarian cook, a nature lover, a snowboarder, a hiker, a historian, a Buddhist, a humanitarian, and a devotee of all things intelligent and kind.

He loved to travel and had many great adventures with his family and friends, including an epic adventure to Paris, France, with one of his best friends Drew.

All who loved Simon are now heartbroken to never get to have another deep philosophical discussion with him.

Most of all, Simon loved his family and friends. His fortes were humility and forgiveness. He taught all who knew him how to do forgiveness right.

Simon was a proud member of the LGBT community and a passionate believer that we are enriched by diversity of all kinds, including diversity of thoughts and opinions.

Simon graduated from Ogden High School in Utah.

Simon earned his bachelor's degree in English, with a minor in anthropology, from Weber State University. While he was at WSU, he worked for and contributed to the school literature magazine called The Metaphor, worked in the campus library, headed a writing group that hosted many poetry slams which he was often a performer in, and was a copy editor for the college newspaper, The Signpost. His goal was to become an English teacher and archaeologist and work overseas.

Throughout his life, Simon volunteered hundreds of hours helping his mother in her classrooms.

He patiently filed paperwork, changed bulletin boards, taught hundreds of students about the Morse Code and the telegraph machine, the Pony Express, mountain men and rendezvous, and helped with and judged many elementary science fairs. Simon worked at Whole Foods and was a waiter while he lived in Salt Lake City for a year with his wife Alex.

Simon worked at Family Dollar in Green River for a year. He earned his CDL and was a long-haul trucker for five months. When his brother Tyler found out he had a life-threatening heart condition, Simon moved to Portland, Ore., to be with Tyler and his wife Yi.

He quit smoking to be in solidarity with his brother when he had to quit. He loved living with Tyler and Yi, loved Portland, the Japanese Gardens, China Town, and the Buddhist Temples there.

Simon was preceded in death by his father, Sidney Furlong, and grandfathers Charles Douglas and Jim Furlong.

He is survived by his brother and best friend Tyler Li, sister-in-law Yichu Li, step brother and creative cohort Cody Baker, mother and stepfather Kathy and Michael Baker, paternal grandmother Ramona Furlong, maternal grandparents Allan and Mary Herring, uncle Jack Herring, aunt Roxane Ronca, cousins Walker and Paloma, uncle Joe Baker, aunt Kathy Aguilar, uncle Rudy Aguilar, and two step-grandmothers Karen Douglas and Mary Baker. He is also survived by many dear second cousins and great aunts and uncles, as well as his ex-wife and friend Alexandra Reinjes.

A memorial service will take place May 4, 2019, in Ogden, Utah, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ogden, at 11 a.m., with a luncheon to follow at that location.

In lieu of flowers, Simon and his family would appreciate your donations to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ogden who sponsor an excellent outreach program for LGBT youth, or to your local community mental health nonprofit organization.