Simon Piacente
We are remembering Simon Piacente, 50, of Countryside who passed away January 2, 2024.
Simon was born on September 29, 1973 to Joseph and Patricia Piacente in Highland Park, Illinois. Simon was an accomplished musician, author, painter, and filmmaker. He also served as lead Tennis Instructor for Western Springs Tennis.
Simon is survived by his brothers, Adam and Matthew (Natalie), and his nieces Anna and Mary Piacente. He was the music maker, and he was the dreamer of dreams.
A visitation and service will be held Saturday, January 6th at Hallowell and James Funeral Home, 1025 W. 55th St. in Countryside, IL. Visitation: 10am-1pm. Funeral service to follow at 1pm.
I am so incredibly saddened by the loss of Coach Simon. I had the pleasure of attending his weekly Saturday morning drills at Score. Countless times did I encourage fellow players to join his drill as it was my absolute favorite. Simon had the most upbeat personality and competitive drills. I considered myself a friend of his. Simon and I shared special memories amongst each other (I’m glad he got to see things like the wedding dress I picked out). I can’t imagine my Saturdays without him. Again, he will be so missed.
Coach Simon has been a part of so many of our lives for so long, it’s hard to imagine life without him. I think for many of us, Saturday morning at 8:00 am, or whenever you had drills with Simon, was the highlight of our week. He will be incredibly missed by so many. Tennis will never be the same. We sure will miss you Coach.
Coach Simon & I started WS tennis the same season (2009-“legacy players” as he described it). I tripped over a ball a few weeks into the drills & had to sit out a couple weeks, while the ankle healed. That’s probably why he was later so careful about stray balls on the court. We met initially at the Oak Brook Tennis Club (along with Coach Dave), thru my son Michael (then playing at LTHS), and continued with the summer drills at the WSPD. When Oak Brook closed he moved over to Score for the winter season activities. I continued participating every year since then, moving into the Night Owl group with his encouragement. Upbeat was the one word that I believe best describes him. I’ll miss him very much.
I am beyond sad to hear of the passing of Coach Simon. I along with so many others owe my love of tennis to him. I began playing three years ago with his drills at which time I had barely played the sport. He was so inclusive of players of all skill levels, and his love of the game was truly infectious. Attending his drills truly became the highlight of the week for myself and so many others. His loss creates a vacuum in the center of our tennis community which thrived so much in his presence. I will never forget his playlists, lively banter, and pregame trivia; it is a testament to him that he actually made me (kinda) like 80’s music. In truth, I now find it almost hard to play without his 80s playlist. I am confident I will hear his sayings echoing in my head for many years to come. As he would say, we have a long way to go and a short while to get here. I just wish it hadn’t been so short. You will be dearly missed.
To Matt and Adam,
May Simon keep Pattie and Joe company in heaven. So sorry for your loss of your brother.
Heidi (Sentinel Travel)
I just became aware of Simon’s passing. I read about him in the recent issue of “HillgroveAvenue”. I couldn’t believe what I was reading today. I’m thoroughly shocked and sad about the loss of this tennis afficianado and friend. I met Simon several years ago in Western Springs at Score. I attended his drills for years, took lessons from him, and used his as a source for tennis know-how.
An injury I received last fall kept me out of Simon’t drills and the tennis community. That must be how I missed this very sad information.
Thank God for giving us Simon for as long as we had him. He was a gift to all of us, not just Tennis Players. I’ll never forget him, and my tennis future will only keep great memories of him alive.
Larry Ansilio
We were fortunate enough to meet Coach Simon through a friend last year. Absolutely loved his drills in Western Springs and could see why he drew so many people. What a professional, fun loving guy. We were excited go back but just found out about his passing, much too soon. So very sorry for his loss.
Maria & Carlos