Farmer and politician Jim Simonian remembered for his love of Fowler

Jim Simonian of Fowler was a high-energy, fun-loving farmer and politician who devoted his life to his family, business and community.

Mr. Simonian died Monday, Sept. 26, after a bout with cancer. He was 72.

Mr. Simonian was Fowler-born and -bred. And he was extremely proud of it. His family began farming in the Fowler area in the early 1900s, and by 1960 they founded Simonian Fruit Company.

The company flourished under the guidance of Mr. Simonian and his late brother David, who shaped it into one of San Joaquin Valley’s leading growers, packers and shippers of peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, persimmons, grapes and pomegranates.

At one time, the Simonians farmed 3,000 acres.

Mr. Simonian’s son, Jimmy Simonian, said his father loved the farming life.

“He would be out there every day,” Jimmy Simonian said. “He loved the seasons, especially the spring when everything was new again. He used to tell me that all you needed to farm was the sun, soil and water.”

Jimmy Simonian laughs when he thinks about conversations he used to have with his father. They spoke every day, sometimes about business, and sometimes just about nothing in particular. Most of all, he liked to hear his dad’s laughter.

“As I got older, I figured out what made him laugh,” Jimmy Simonian said. “And a lot of times, it was just stupid stuff that we would talk about. He liked to laugh, and I’m going to miss hearing that.”

Longtime family friend Jane Bedrosian also remembers Mr. Simonian’s humorous side, especially his joke-telling.

“He was always bringing humor and joy to people,” she said. “But the funny thing about Jimmy is that he would start laughing before he even finished his joke, then everyone would start laughing.”

Mr. Simonian was an eclectic man with varied interests. He was a farmer, but also a seasoned pilot, local politician and low-key philanthropist.

Mr. Simonian was a pilot for 50 years, flying throughout California, including to his farm holdings on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.

Jimmy Simonian said his father had an entire group of friends who were pilots and knew very little about farming.

“And dad liked it that way,” he said. “He could get away from it all and just be a pilot.”

As a civic leader, Mr. Simonian served on the Fowler City Council for 22 years, 10 of those as mayor.

Fowler City Manager David Elias said Mr. Simonian made Fowler one of his top priorities.

“He loved this community with all his heart, and he was involved in so many things, including the city, the school district and FFA,” Elias said. “This is a huge loss to the community.”

Retired Superior Court Judge Carlos Cabrera was friends with Mr. Simonian for nearly 30 years. He remembers him as a trusted and loyal friend, whose generosity was unrivaled.

“Jim was loved by all,” Cabrera said. “He was one of those persons that we’re lucky to meet in our lifetime.”

This story was originally published September 28, 2016 at 4:42 PM with the headline "Farmer and politician Jim Simonian remembered for his love of Fowler."