Founder of Simon Konover Co Simon Konover has passed away after leading a remarkable life of hardship and philanthropy, GlobeSt reports.

Born in Poland, Simon was 16 during the start of WWII, where he was interned in a Nazi labor farm. He survived unimaginable conditions, later escaping to Russia, where he was drafted into its army.

As a truck driver delivering supplies to the front line, he was imprisoned for a year in a Siberian hard labor camp until the war ended. Simon would say that he "lived minute to minute, not hour to hour." Out of his family, only he and his brother Harold survived the war.

In 1949, Simon immigrated to the US, launching his own business in 1957. His portfolio grew to national standards, owning 15M SF throughout its history. He also helped found the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC.

Simon will remain a legacy in both bravery and his generational family business. [GS]