Simons Funeral Home has been serving the Pittsburgh area community since 1890. We’re thankful to be an important part of this community and will continue our longstanding legacy of helping families honor their loved ones.
Our Funeral Home was established in 1890 by Frank W. Simons Sr. He was born on the North Side of Pittsburgh and was a funeral director on the North Side of Pittsburgh for 40 years. He was born in Westmoreland County in 1868 and lived at 2025 Perrysville Avenue until his death at the age of 62. He passed away in 1930. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Jennie Agnew Simons, two daughters, Florence and Elizabeth Simons, and son, Frank W. Simons, Jr.
Frank Sr. operated the funeral home in three different locations. The first was on North Avenue, next to Allegheny General Hospital. The second was on Arch Street, during a time when most funerals were still held in people’s homes. As funeral services began moving into dedicated facilities, a larger building became necessary.
Eventually, Frank Sr. purchased a property at 2025 Perrysville Avenue, where the business would operate for the next 88 years. The building sat on a spacious lot with a formal garden, gas lanterns, and decorative stone walls. Inside, it featured 36 rooms and six bathrooms, including five viewing rooms, a full chapel, an elevator, and an 11-car garage. The garage was essential to house the funeral home’s vehicles, which included a hearse, limousines, lead cars, and an ambulance.
More than just a building, 2025 Perrysville Avenue became a place where generations of families were served with care and compassion.
After Frank W. Simons Sr. passed away, his son Frank W. Simons Jr. took over and ran the funeral home until he passed in 1954.
Frank W. Simons Jr.
1905-1954
After the passing of Frank W. Simons Jr., his wife, Gilberta Mathilda Heckel Simons, stepped forward to guide the funeral home. Operating under a widow’s license, she faithfully carried on the business from 1954 until her own passing in 1970. Gilberta worked with the dedicated men Frank Jr. had employed, ensuring that families continued to receive the same care and support they had come to expect.
Gilberta and Frank Jr. had two sons — Frank W. Simons III and Gilbert Scott Simons — both of whom followed in their parents’ footsteps and became funeral directors. Together, Frank and G. Scott operated the funeral home at the North Side location until 1997, when the building was sold. The building still operates as a funeral home today.
During their years of leadership, the brothers also looked to the future. In 1974, they built a new facility at 7720 Perry Highway, designed to better serve a growing community. That building, carefully planned and thoughtfully constructed, remains the home of Simons Funeral Home today.
Frank Wilson Simons III
April 6, 1936 - Sept. 24, 2018
Here is a picture of our hearse and ambulance from the 1940's.
This old buggy hearse from the eighteen hundreds was used to carry the casket to the cemetery.
