Simone Blake, 79, of Palatine, died of complications from lung cancer Wednesday, Feb. 27, in Northwest Community Healthcare in Arlington Heights. Mrs. Blake was born in Woonsocket, R.I., and raised in New York City. During World War II, she worked for the Navy as a civilian administrative assistant in ordnance inspection. After she married in 1951, Mrs. Blake became a homemaker. She moved with her family to Palatine in 1970 and volunteered at St. Theresa Catholic Church there. “She was very patient and never said a word against a soul,” her husband Walter said. He said his wife kept up the skills she learned working for the Navy. “If she was on the phone, she would write everything in shorthand,” he said. Other survivors include two sons, Daniel and Peter; two daughters, Piper Pierson and Tracey Gross; and four grandchildren. Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Sunday in Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home, 185 E. Northwest Highway, Palatine. Prayers will be said at 9:30 a.m. Monday in the funeral home. A mass will follow at 10 a.m. in St. Theresa Church, 467 N. Benton St., Palatine.
