Simon Schwindt

Simon Schwindt, born January 4, 1972 in Bradford, England went to be with Our Heavenly Father the morning of September 15, 2021.  He is survived by his devoted wife, Julie, his even more devoted Labrador, Maya, parents Rita Schwindt, and Albert “Adam” Schwindt (Fatima), a brother, Conrad Schwindt (Karen), sisters Sharon Dalby, Susan Schwindt (Varnado), and Denise Stokes (Kevin).  Additionally, he is survived and loved by multiple beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

Simon was born and spent his younger years in Bradford, England.  As a young boy he immigrated to Cape Town, South Africa with his parents and Conrad where he remained until early adulthood.  While in Cape Town Simon excelled in his studies, learned to speak Afrikaans fluently, was a proud Boy Scout, and developed a love of motorcycles, sailing, and golf.  At the age of 18 years he was conscripted into the South African National Defence to be a member of the Fire Brigade.  Upon discharge he spent thirty years in the nuclear energy industry, both in South Africa and the United States, serving in many roles including Senior Reactor Operator, and most recently Training Manager.

Simon immigrated to the United States of America in the year 2006 where he began his post-secondary studies while working full-time as an instructor in the nuclear power industry.  It was at this point he fell in love with the science of learning and developed a real knack for helping others to not only love to learn, but to find success by putting their newly acquired knowledge into practice.  He excelled in his studies, as well as his career earning many promotions along the way.

Simon was a real natural when it came to helping others learn.  Upon completion of his Bachelor’s degree, he attended NC State University in Raleigh, NC where he earned a Master’s degree in Training and Development.  Upon his death he was enrolled at Florida State University where he was scheduled to graduate in May 2022 with his doctorate in Instructional Systems & Learning Technologies.  These degrees confirmed his natural talent of being able to inspire and lead others, and further refined his level of expertise in training and development.

A few years after arriving in the U.S. Simon met Julie at a Cary, NC Starbucks and an unbreakable bond was quickly formed.  They soon fell in love and married on January 1, 2013.  During their time together, they extensively traveled the United States and three continents. Even COVID couldn’t slow their adventures! Simon made it his job to teach Julie to play golf during the extended lockdowns.  He succeeded and as a result they spent many hours playing golf and simply enjoying each other’s company in the fresh air under beautiful skies.  Teaching a stubborn wife to play golf can be a challenge, but because he was her soul mate the marriage survived!

Speaking of golf, Simon loved the game!  He played some of the most beautiful courses in the United States, as well as the world with his dear friends Steve and Artie.  He also loved South African Springbok Rugby, college football, MotoGP and Formula 1 racing.

Simon had a strong desire to help others learn and succeed. All it took was a simple thank you from someone to set him on fire to find a way to teach challenging information in a manner that brought about success for all involved.  It was his passion to help others reach their full potential and he achieved that to the best of his abilities and to the highest standard.

Simon loved America and was so proud to become an American citizen in October of 2018.  It was not unusual to see him proudly wearing an American flag piece of clothing, hat, socks, shoes, or all of the above at the same time! 

Simon dearly loved Julie, his wife of almost nine years, and she loved him with all of her heart. His heart was as tender as they come and with it he loved his family, his friends, and Our Lord and Savior.  As Simon rests in the arms of Our Heavenly Father please take a moment to remember his smile, his beautiful dimple, and lovely blue eyes that lit up every time he greeted a friend.  Our world suffered a great loss when Heaven gained a precious soul.

Donations in memory of Simon can be made to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. https://supporting.afsp.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donate.event&eventID=2078&language=en

Family will receive friends at 8:30 AM, Saturday, September 25, 2021, at First Baptist Church, Fairhope.  Funeral Services will follow at 9:00 AM.