July 26, 2016 CRT Stakeholders and Friends, It is with deep sadness we share the news that longtime leader and friend Simon Margolis passed away yesterday. For those who didn't know Simon, he spent his career as an Assistive Technology (AT) and Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) practitioner, industry leader, and advocate. And even more important than that, he was a good man. I knew and worked with Simon very closely in different capacities for over 30 years. And many others in the AT and CRT arena had that same honor. He was a great guy to have leading an initiative or as a member of your team. When it came to CRT, Simon was all in. His many contributions to promoting access to the technology and services that improve the lives of people with disabilities are far too numerous to list. As Gary Gilberti, past NCART President, said "As a clinician, provider, manufacturer, inventor, accreditation surveyor, or organizational leader Simon wore many hats and brought diverse perspectives to all his conversations". It is amazing when you look at the various roles and organizations Simon had a significant and positive influence on. During his career he was part of the leadership of all three major AT/CRT organizations. And he was part of the actual creation of two of them. At RESNA, he served on the Board of Directors and as President. At NCART, he was one of our founders and served on our Board of Directors. And most importantly, at NRRTS he was one of the founders where he served on their Board, served as President, and then led NRRTS for seven years as Executive Director until his premature retirement in August 2013 due to health issues. In all these positions, Simon's passion and dedication had a common goal: protecting and improving access to high quality individually configured equipment that people with disabilities rely on and ensuring it was provided by qualified professionals and organizations. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife Marcia, his daughter Erica Negrini and son-in-law Tyler. Marcia and Erica were the real stars in his life and his love for them was evident in his personal conversations. You can convey your thoughts to the family at http://bit.ly/2asMKDa. Some people say when they die, they'd like their legacy to be that "I left the world a little better than it was when I came into it". Simon can rest in peace knowing his dedicated contributions left the world much better for people with disabilities and for those of us who knew and worked with him. Thank you Simon for the example you left us to follow. We will continue to advocate (fight) for access to CRT in your memory. Respectfully, Don Donald E. Clayback Executive Director | NCART Office 716-839-9728 | Cell 716-913-4754 dclayback@ncart.us | www.ncart.us