Arthur Simon; Florist, Planner of Glamorous Parties

Arthur Simon, a florist and professional party planner who created magical scenes for such events as the Academy Awards presentation and the Governor’s Ball afterward, has died. He was 46.

Simon died Friday in his Beverly Hills home of AIDS-related problems and cardiac arrest, his brother, Barry Simon, said Saturday.

Often called the “Cecil B. DeMille of party-planning,” Simon was the secret weapon in every California philanthropist’s fund-raising arsenal. He planned charitable dinner dances for organizations such as the City of Hope, Thalians and SHARE.

For a four-figure minimum and three-figure price per guest, Simon and his company would provide invitations, parking, catering, flowers, music, decor, waiters in tails or costume, china, glassware, silver, tables and linens and special effects.

He also staged film premieres and theatrical extravaganzas, including the San Francisco Opera Ball, along with nationally televised presentations of the Academy Awards and Emmy Awards.

“His life’s joy was to make beautiful and exquisite desires into a reality,” said his brother. “His meticulous sense of taste and beauty was his gift to share.”

Born Dec. 14, 1944, in Portland, Ore., Simon attended the University of Oregon and the California College of Arts.

In addition to his brother Barry, Simon is survived by his wife, Bella; his mother, Jeanette Simon-Geiger, and brother Mort.

Services are scheduled at 2 p.m. today at Temple Beth Am, 1039 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, and interment will follow at Hillside Mortuary.

The family has asked that any memorial contributions be made to Temple Beth Am or to the American Foundation for AIDS Research, 5900 Wilshire Blvd., 2nd Floor East, Los Angeles, Calif. 90036.