I have been married to Rick Simons for 38 years! We have 3 amazing kids – Allison Griffith 35, Amanda Nuthall 32, Nelson Simons 30, and our first grandson Forrest Griffith who is PERFECT!
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
All 3 kids were born at HOAG hospital and graduated from Newport Harbor High School. We love the Sailors! My husband works at Disneyland.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
I am a person who has loved pretty much every minute of my career as a teacher and a swim coach. I have taught TK and preschool at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church for 30 years. This is my true passion. I love to see the kids in September and see the amazing growth by June. My goal is for them to feel confident, loved and to love learning. I also coach swimming at Newport Shores and Balboa Bay Club. My favorite is training the kids for their Junior Lifeguard test. I technically work for Jose DeLara Orange Coast Aquatics Conference and he is the best! We have a 99.9% pass rate and we focus on technique. The kids learn the proper way to swim for a lifetime. The thing I love the most is the interaction with the kids and their families. There is nothing better than a kid that has to get 1:50 seconds for a D junior guard and tests at 2:20 on their first day, then they work so hard to achieve that goal. I am so so proud of their hard work and commitment. Learning the core values of Junior Lifeguards carries over for a lifetime. Respect, Represent, Responsible!
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
I love Tidepooles. Troy is such a hard worker and the food is fantastic. Honoring his brother who died and his mom who works for him is very special. Support Local! I also love The Alley, best food in town and Eat Chow! All within walking or bike distance from our house.
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
50 years; most of my life!
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
Impossible to answer. Newport is like the best person ever! There are so many people I admire and find interesting on a daily basis. Our great town is filled with artists, entrepreneurs , people of great faith, athletes, teachers and coaches that make a daily impact. Just to name a few I would put Will O’Neill as a person of integrity, honesty and sensibility. We have Jason Smith the dynamic new pastor at St. Andrew’s. Jeff Yokoyama, innovator, artist entrepreneur. Sean Boulton, educator. Jose DeLara, coach, entrepreneur. Kayleigh Gilchrist, Olympian. Bruce Cook, writer, Balboa Bay Club. Sabrina Chazen, influencer. All our amazing lifeguards and firefighters…I could go on forever!
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
Anything sports related but my favorites are Remember the Titans, The Blind Side, We are Marshall.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
Simple: BE KIND and always think about how someone else feels…
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
Tavarua is my dream; warm water, waves, serenity.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
Travel! London, Italy, Ireland and more than I have years for…
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
Well… I have always loved Mick Jagger, not really very realistic. I would also like very much to have lunch with Greg Laurie as I have been an admirer of him since I was 16. He is a true man of faith and I feel he is “the real deal.” He speaks truth and lives it.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
Another hard question as I am 100% Newport! There is nothing that aggravates me more than people bashing on our town. They don’t know this community. It’s the best and simply amazing as it encompasses everything WONDERFUL!
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
Since I have become a Grandma, life looks a little different. I am hoping for more grandkids, my son is getting married, and I guess at some point I’ll HAVE to retire although it’s not in the immediate plan.
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
Not much, I am an open book, not much is a mystery about me. I actually wish there was.
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
Time with my 3 kids and my extended family. We always laugh, talk, challenge, and love above anything else! It’s a beautiful life!
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
Always Jesus as I put my faith and trust in him daily or I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
FAMILY
NEWPORT
OCEAN
