Roger “Steve” Simerman, 79, passed away Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024 at the Cleveland Clinic with his loved ones around him. He was born Feb. 2, 1945 in Allen County to Roger and Mary Belle (Hodson) Simerman.
He grew up in rural Ossian on the family farm. There he developed a love for all things that had motors and wheels and he carried that love with him for the rest of his life. He was a natural born mechanic who could always be found working on something and he especially loved his Oliver Tractors.
Steve was a 1963 graduate of Ossian High School. Shortly after graduating from high school, he went into the Indiana Air National Guard at Fort Wayne. He served his country proudly from 1963 to 1969. He married, Sue Nycum, the love of his life, on Aug. 19, 1967. Steve worked for Fort Wayne Leasing, Ryder Truck Leasing, and Super Value in Fort Wayne. He was a life-long Allen and Wells County Farmer. He had a great love for his family and always had a story to tell. He was known for his sense of humor and he was truly one of a kind. He was a member of the Canal Society of Indiana and the Civil War Round Table.
He is survived by his wife, Sue; sons, Robin (Michele) Simerman and Ron (Megan) Simerman, both of Ossian; daughter, Shelly (Tim) Deck of Poe; and seven grandchildren, Ashley (Jarrod) Kirstine of New Haven, Alyssa Deck of Nashville, Tenn., Victoria Simerman of Tempe, Ariz., Aaron Simerman of Huntington, Daniel Simerman, Emily Simerman, and Alison Simerman, all three of Ossian. He is also survived by his brother, Lanny (Janice) Simerman of Zanesville; and a sister, Janice (Mike) Tryon of Shreveport, La. He was greatly loved and is missed by all who knew him.
Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. Friday, Feb. 16, 2024 at Elzey-Patterson-Rodak Funeral Home, 120 West Mill Street, Ossian, IN 46777 with visitation one hour prior. Visitation will also be on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be at Oak Lawn Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Canal Society of Indiana, P. O. Box 11292, Terra Haute, IN or Donor’s Choice.
To leave condolences, please visit www.elzey-patterson-rodak.com.