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It is with a heavy heart that we report founding member Jeff Simonoff passed away due to a very tired heart. EORA has created a memorial page with comments from friends and colleagues.
 On November 10th 2009, the EORA board of directors decided to RETIRE SENIORITY NUMBER 1 in honor of founding member Jeff Simonoff's passing.
As you all know Jeff was a founding member of the EORA. He would tell me quite often about his being seniority number 1 and a gentle smile would slowly appear on his face with word of wisdom to follow. I will miss Jeff's phone calls in his gravely voice, always concerned about the direction of the association and provided advice. I am so thankful he made the trip to Hartford to visit with everyone.
Jeff is survived by his wife Sue and two children, Lawrence and Victoria.
If you wish to send a card the mailing address is:
53 Old Farm Road
Weston, CT 06883
I honor of Jeff's memory you can make a donation to any of the 4 organizations listed below.
Jewish National Fund - http://www.jnf.org
Weston (CT) Volunteer Fire Department - http://www.wvfd.com
North Shore Animal League - http://www.nsalamerica.org
National Kidney Foundation - http://www.kidney.org
Sincerely,
Debbie Motz
EORA
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"Death of a Salesman
I was among those guys in that Holiday Inn meeting room when charters were written and seniority numbers drawn. I think that Jeff was the only one surprised that day when he drew #1 from that empty ice bucket. After all, on that day, and every day after, Jeff was the consummate salesman, and a true industry leader, long before this was an industry.
I would strongly support the idea of keeping Jeff #1 forever, as a tribute to him, and as a reminder to the rest of us that we have all followed him into this business.
I might be the first to compare Jeff Simonoff and Paul Newman (yeah, probably) , but I see two residents of Westport, Ct. whose impact on their professions will stand the test of time. Two men of honesty and integrity, committed to their families, committed to their communities¦ Two men that gave more than they got, and two men that left the world a better place¦.Two lives well-lived.
Maybe it's the water!
Respectfully,
Eric Cleaveland
EORA #3
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Dear friends of Jeff Simonoff
Jeff was THE sales rep I knew the longest. I remember him visiting my father Harry at United Chambers Trading Corp carrying samples from Coghlans. Like clockwork every 5-6 weeks Jeff would visit the store on Chambers Street. He always was smiling and cheery. I thought he was a blond giant, and to a 10 or 11 year old girl, he was. Jeff was the one that persuaded us to carry Vasque, Brunton and so many other brands. His knowledge of optics was encyclopedic. He was an example of what a good sales rep should be.
In October 1993 Jeff, Harry and I with Bob Walker went to Hong Kong and China together. It was an unforgettable experience. Obviously it was for business but we had alot of fun. I remember that Jeff had to purchase a business class ticket on United Airlines because he could not really fit well in the seats. I am still not sure how he sleep in those tiny hotel beds in HK. Sharing a meal with Jeff was interesting. Jeff was not kosher and my father was. But Jeff was the one that found the only kosher deli in Hong Kong. Harry was delighted but I will tell you that a pastrami sandwich in HK does not taste the same. When we took a hydrofoil ferry to Guangzhou (Canton), Harry was green as a lizard and I wasn't any better but Jeff was a rock. Nothing fazed him.
Jeff Simonoff will be and should be missed. His EORA number should be permanently retired. I could suggest to hang his uniform in the stadium but it would be almost large enough to cover the whole roof. He was a fine and gentle man. I am happy to have made my acquaintance with him for these many years.
Respectfully
Jamie Lipman Abish
Tent & Trails
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Jeff was a kind sole. My fondest memories are the early dinners that he would host for his customers. Always on his birthday during the show. He would bring together a crew from Campmor, Ramsey Outdoor, Paragon, Tent & Trails and various other customers and reps. It taught me that you need friends to thrive in this industry and thanks to Jeff I learned that lesson early in my career.
We will miss you Jeff.
Bill Whipple
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Jeff is a light that touched many people over the years. For those members of EORA who did not know him it is truly a loss. He was a very kind person, who as he told me never wanted to be a rep. His father was a rep before him and as he was helping his dad part time, when his father died. It was then that he took over the lines and went in the road.
It was in Chicago that I first met Jeff at the old NSGA sporting goods show. I was writing equipment reviews for Off Belay and had just been offered the Climb High line. I came to one of the early room shows and Jeff gave me the names of several buyers that he thought might be wanting to buy climbing gear and EB's.
One of my first accounts that I called on was Harry down at Tent Trails in New York City. I sold over $2,000.00 dollars of gear to him that day and was so pleased with myself that I thought that the $140 dollars of commission I made was because of my skill and ability as a salesmen. I then spent the 15 cents on the subway up to Paragon to make my next big sale which I did.
I was to learn from Harry as I got to know him better that Jeff had called all the people that Jeff had told me about, and told them that they should buy from me. Jeff was from the old school. He was a kind person and its sad that he is not with us any more.
Steve Schneider
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I too remember the organizing meetings that Peter talks about. Back then I was just getting into the repping biz and there were folks like Jeff at the table that represented the lion share of the industry at that time (Steve Breen and Ken LaCasse also come to mind). To put it into context, in today's environment, Jeff represented something close to what Columbia achieved in the recent past. In spite of my naiveté and lack of "standing" in the organizing meetings, Jeff was always one to listen to and consider what I had to say. He could have just as easily past over me, but he didn't...
Jeff was also something of an inventor - or re-inventor. He was constantly reinventing himself with new lines and never seemed to loose his passion and drive for the next sale, regardless of what the product was. For God sake, he was in the Snowboarding business and pulled it off!
He fought many medical challenges over the course of his life, but it never seemed to change who he was or affect his love for our business. Whether it was his hearing going on him or his renal issues, he seemed to suck it up and carry on - we can all learn a bit from that example.
I will truly miss Jeff for what he was and what he wasn't. Friends often remark to me how lucky I am to be a part of an industry like ours - I think Jeff knew exactly how lucky he was.
Rick Stoner
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I am very saddened to hear about Jeff. I would not be in this industry today if it weren't for his help back then. when I was trying to break in to the "mans" world. He always will have a special place in my heart and I will miss talking to him
Lisa Mansback
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I am really sad to hear about Jeff...while I haven't spent much time with him over the last several years since I moved to the South...he was my rep when I was a buyer at Ramsey Outdoor (back in another life) and I hired him as a rep as a sales manager with Coleman (yet another life)...
No one ever was in the middle as to how they felt about him...a more honest man we may never meet. He will be missed, probably more than he would have ever known while amongst us.
My sincere condolences to Sue and his family...they always came first.
Third Rail Marketing
Norman E Pitt
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As a buyer more than 30+ years ago Jeff used to call on me when I worked at Liverpool Sports center. I didn't always buy but nevertheless Jeff would continue to call on us.....and always with a positive attitude.
When we did buy he would often call to check up on things to be sure we were happy with our purchase and check on sell thru. In all my years of buying no other rep called me after the sale to be sure I was happy with my purchase. One time he even offered to take back a slow moving item and replace it with something else....his suggestion not mine. My how things have changed.
I was really glad Jeff could make the most recent Hartford show. Jeff was never a complainer just an optimistic hard worker.
He will be missed. I too say let's all take a moment and raise a glass to Jeff...one of our founding members.
Cheer's, Here's to you Jeff.
Russ Hartwell
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I was a founding member along with Jeff- which means that we were among a small group of outdoor reps who took it upon ourselves to rent a hotel room a short ride from LaGuardia AP and met to "organize". The term herding cats comes to mind. How remarkable that we pulled it off and hundreds of members and hundreds of shows later, EORA is a real org. It took un -shy guys like Jeff to get it off the ground and keep it flying.
On a personal note, I will remember Jeff as the gentle bear who never missed the opportunity to ask " How's you son?" He knew that we had a tough time with a very early birth of Peter Jr and he was genuinely interested to know how things were going. Thanks Jeff for asking and be assured that Peter is doing very well indeed. He is a first year student here at St Mary's college of Maryland, loves living here on the banks of the river with me- I'm his
aid- and he has figured out the right amount of beer to make the party a good one. Life's pretty simple.
Peter Burnes
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I'm sure that the amount of Jeff Simonoff stories are exponential to the amount of people in our entire industry. Some of them would of course cover his imposing presence, his humor, his ill fortune of late, or his having been a real player in years past, but never would they include Jeff complaining about his position or condition.
Personally, I can remember Jeff calling on me when I was a buyer for Paragon Sporting Goods. We had a guy named Gerry working there and he was a bookend for Jeff. Sitting between those two could be pretty scary. If they ever fell toward one another nobody could have survived the crash. More amazing was that they both loved to go to the wresting events in Madison Square Garden and root like little kids for Bruno Samartino and Haystacks. What a picture.
But the real Jeff came out when I left retail and went on the road to be in sales myself. It was then that it became evident what kind of a man he was. Of all the reps whose pockets I helped fill as a buyer, only one ever called to see how things were going on the road. And he called often. Jeff would give me the names and numbers of buyers after asking where I was heading to in the near future. And they were real quality leads.
In my first few seasons out there Jeff never missed inviting me to dinner (at his expense) at trade shows, both local and national. It was his way of helping the starving newbie. Fortunately In recent years I had the opportunity to return the favor.
It amazes me that in the end it was his heart that gave out, because from my point of view, it was always his strongest weapon, and it is truly what made Jeff who he was. All the best to his family and friends,
Ray Ferrand
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I never suspected that what I thought would be a short term gig at Eureka Camping Center would evolve into so much more.
This is how I met the force of nature called Jeff Simonoff. When I decided that being a sales rep in the outdoor business was the coolest thing anyone could do, I brought it up to reps I dealt with and interviewed with a few who were looking to expand. At the time, I didn't realize that the decision to go with Jeff was the best move I could have made, nor the effect it would have on my life.
Like other reps have said, indeed, he was a tremendous mentor, definitely had his priorities straight, was honest to the bone and always supportive. We also know what a PITA he could be to us all - reps, customers and factories. That was just an expression of his passion and his way of letting you know about it. If you knew him, you know what I mean, and you also know I say it with love.
When I crossed over to the dark side and became involved with managing a commission sales force, and then when I managed an inside sales group, I would invoke Jeff's name and Simonoff-isms to make points about selling, account management and customer service.
Knowing the, eh, New York style of selling sure came in handy when dealing with reps from that metro area.
Besides that, I probably spent more nights in hotel rooms with him than my wife!
I could never repay all he has done for me.I am proud to have worked with Jeff for 12 or so years and glad to say we remained close friends for the next 12 plus years. Only two weeks ago we were talking about working together on a project.
Rest well my friend. You are sorely missed.
Bob Talkiewicz
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Just a few thoughts on Jeff. He has been a rep for our company for the past 10 years. His wife Sue contacted me on Sunday to tell me he had passed away. It was a total shock. There are many great, funny and touching stories I could share about Jeff, but suffice it to say that it was an honor to know and to have worked with Jeff over the years, he was one-of-a-kind and he will be missed. I just wanted to share that.
Sincerely,
Jeff Basford
President
Paha Que' Wilderness, Inc.
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Jeff was one of the first people I met at the EORA show at King of Prussia many, many years ago. He was one person that you never forgot meeting and I continued to see him for many years afterward both on the East coast and at OR. A true giant of a man.
Thanks.
Phil Carey
Carey & Company, Ltd.
RESCUE ESSENTIALS
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Sorry to hear about Jeff passing away.
My best memory of Jeff is one trip to China accompanied by Harry & Jamie Abish from Tent and Trails in NYC.
Seems like we laughed are way through the back roads of China with memories that will be with all of us for the rest of our lives.
A gentle soul that had a huge heart and a huge laugh that I will never forget.
The other most outstanding memory I have of Jeff is how totally devoted he was to his family, wife, son, and daughter.
I can't begin to tell how many stories I heard Jeff talk about Victoria and Lawrence.
Jeff was always giving me updates about what they were doing. I am very sorry for their loss.
I am very glad to say how much I value the friendship we had and the time we were able to spend together.
Jeff's friendship and counsel was a true blessing in my life.
We will miss you Jeff.
Bob Walker
Essential Gear, Inc.
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I just read about Jeff's passing, and am nothing short of shocked and saddened. I knew him since my days at HTO when he was partners with Marty Meyers. The industry and his good friends like yourself will sorely miss him. He was one of the nicest and easy going reps I knew. Please pass my condolences on to his family for me.
I have been working at The Trailhead in Buena Vista, CO since 7/1, and we are just about to complete our partnership agreement. Drop me a note when you get a minute.
Best regards,
Tom
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I have many memories of Jeff as a fellow sales rep. and there certainly are many nice things to say about him. However for me it was that special kind of person Jeff was to OTHER people. He treated all people the same. That is he always showed how he cared for you with a very deep concentration and careful listening.
The many times I saw him at the shows he always had time to talk and share notes on sales and customers. He knew we were all in this business together that is sales reps and buyers and made sure that you knew that he cared about you.
I will miss him and always be inspired by his thoughtfulness for his fellow man.
I share with all this Irish Eulogy which may help one during times like this.
Ray Shannis
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The following is a ancient eulogy that was found in the Cannelite Monastery in Tallow, County Waterford, Ireland:
Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away into the next room. Whatever we were to each other, we still are. Call me by my old familiar name. Speak to me in the easy way you always used to. Laugh as we always laughed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be the household word it always was. Let it be spoken without effort.
Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it always was. There is absolutely unbroken continuity. Why should I be out of your mind just because I am out of your sight. I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner.
All is well. Nothing is past. Nothing is lost. One brief moment and all will be as it was before €œ only better. Infinitely happier. And forever we will be one together with Christ. Love doesn't die, people do. So that when all that's left of me is love, Give me away as best you can.
I'll see you at home, where I'll be waiting.
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