Simonne Lake, 96, of Charlotte, NC, passed away, surrounded by family, on February 17, 2026. Simonne was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts on May 31,1929, the youngest daughter of Romaine and Blanche Meurin. Simonne grew up in New Bedford and Dartmouth. 

From a very young age, Simonne was a bright and eager student. In high school, she excelled at academics and was quite involved in activities, even playing basketball as a 5’2” defensive guard! After graduating from high school at age 17, she attended Boston College for her freshman year and then transferred to New Bedford Textile Institute (now Southeastern Massachusetts University), where she earned her B.S. in Textile Chemistry in 1951. After graduation, she worked as a chemist until starting her family. Simonne met her future husband, Richard P. Lake, at a local dance in 1949. Although they recognized each other from the college campus, their courtship began when they danced together. This love of dancing would continue throughout their lives together. They were married in 1952 at the Unitarian Church in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, and Richard soon built their first house in his hometown of Adamsville, RI. Within a few years, they welcomed their first daughter, Suzanne, followed by sisters Sarah, Patti, and Debbie. While in Adamsville, Simonne was active as a local Girl Scout leader. The family lived in Adamsville until 1967, when Richard’s job took them to Charlotte.

After moving to Charlotte, Simonne hoped to work again as a chemist, but part-time work was not available in that field. She became Religious Education Director at the Unitarian Church of Charlotte, which the family had joined in 1967. While in that role, she also did coursework in early childhood education. After that, she taught for many years at the Open Door School in Charlotte. For a few years in the early 1980s, she worked full-time in the field of chemistry again. But she returned to teaching at Open Door and stayed with that well into her 70s.

Simonne was involved in many activities. One of her mottos was “Better to wear out than to rust out.” She and Richard loved bowling, and competed for many years in the leagues at Park Lanes in Charlotte. Together, they won gold medals in bowling at the NC Senior Games. Her volunteer roles included delivering Friendship Trays, helping in the local schools, serving as a docent at the Mint Museum, and working on fundraisers for the Unitarian Church and Open Door School. She was active in investment, bridge, and Scrabble clubs. She was a devoted patron of the CPCC Summer Theater program. She started gardening at her father’s side as a teen, and spent countless hours throughout her life planting and tending to her gardens. Up until her final days, she still checked daily on her indoor plants and enjoyed any opportunity to visit outdoor gardens. Her mother taught her needlework and sewing, which she continued throughout most of her years. She loved listening to music, singing, and playing the piano. She and Richard travelled extensively after his retirement. They especially enjoyed seeing many parts of the world on their cruise vacations. They also regularly travelled back to New England, to spend time with lifelong friends and family. They loved visiting the Carolina coast, especially Ocean Isle Beach. In between activities and travel, she most enjoyed spending time as a “Nana” to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. For many years, she hosted the big holiday celebrations, and was famous for her homemade pies. The grandchildren frequently taught her new line dances, which she thoroughly enjoyed. At home, she also enjoyed the challenge of all sorts of puzzles, and loved when family members would play a word game or work on a jigsaw puzzle with her. Simonne was an avid reader and excellent storyteller. She loved a good laugh, and her family will always remember her at family gatherings, laughing so hard that she had to grab her apron to wipe away tears!

Simonne was predeceased by her daughter, Sarah Wilkerson in 2018 and her husband, Richard, in 2019. Her older sisters, Marie and Cecilia, also predeceased her. She is survived by her daughters Suzanne Lake, Patti Deese (Bennie), and Debbie Michael (Mike Carroll), and her son-in-law, Scott Wilkerson (Shannon). She is also survived by 11 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and friends. In the last few years of her life, she made some dear friends at Windsor Run retirement community in Matthews, where she and Richard were among the first residents in 2018.

A memorial service for Simonne will be held on Saturday, March 14 at 10:30 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Community of Charlotte, 234 N. Sharon Amity Rd. In Charlotte. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be directed to The Alzheimer’s Association.