More on Simone

The passing of Simone Smiljanic has hit me hard. She'd been in poor health for years, and recently been in the hospital after having had two heart attacks, so it wasn't unexpected. But after her husband Bill posted on her Facebook page that she'd passed away early Friday morning, I spent the rest of the day thinking about her and feeling deflated and saddened at her loss.

Simone was a friend. I met her when I joined IMPHSA, the model horse club she ran with Ellen Hitchins in the late 1960s/early 1970s.

Simmie (as she was called back then; in later years she preferred going by Simone) was one of the twin pillars of our hobby. With Ellen Hitchins, she got us organized and helped so many of us find each other and the hobby during the years before the internet.

Her stable was named Shalimar Stables and she had some gorgeous models. (Shalimar was a popular perfume back in the day; my stable name, Windsong, is also a perfume name.)

Like me, Simone was originally from Indiana and lived in Indianapolis where she ran clubs and published her newsletter, Pony Express. (To get a glimpse into how the early hobby ran, read through that information sheet above.)

In February of 2020, Simone sold me her cherished Beswick Appaloosa . She'd bought it in Canada back in the 1970s. One of my most wanted pieces for almost 50 years, I had the Royal Doulton version (on the right in the photo) but I wanted the Beswick edition.

The sales photo I spotted online - I literally gasped when I realized I'd just found a Beswick Appaloosa up for sale!

I sent Simone this photo of me with her Appaloosa when it arrived.

Simone was a thoughtful friend, and knowing my love of circus horses, she kept an eye out on eBay and other sales sites for me, sending me links when she found something she thought I'd like.

I never asked her to do that - she simply did it because that's who she was - someone who loved the hobby and was willing to act as a friend or mentor to us all.

Thank you, Simone. Your friendship in the 1970s helped me get my feet under me in the new and burgeoning model horse hobby, a hobby I am still a part of and love. You were a dear friend and I miss you. 

Rest in peace, sweet lady.