(The following biographical information was provided by Samaritan Village in Richmond Hill, Queens.) Sylvia Simowitz was born in 1919. Throughout her life she gave unsparingly of her time and energy to the various community organizations with which she was associated. These included: Therapeutic Communities of America, Queensboro Council of Social Welfare, Association of Voluntary Agencies on Narcotic Treatment, Queens Transitional Services and the Queensboro President’s Council on Substance and Alcohol Abuse. In 1984, at the New York State Fair in Syracuse, Simowitz was cited as one of the Empire State Women of the Year for her leadership in the development of drug abuse treatment services.

In 1966, Simowitz joined Samaritan Village as a volunteer assistant to its founder, Father Damian Pitcaithly. She was involved in all aspects of Samaritan Village, from improving the management of the kitchen to counseling clients’ family members to representing Samaritan Village before state and federal agencies. After holding several administrative positions at the organization, she was named First Executive Vice-President. She provided 32 years of inspiring leadership throughout the Samaritan Village organization on its Board of Directors as it grew to a network of 13 locations providing services to 1,500 men and women. On October 8, 1998, following Simowitz's death, Samaritan Village dedicated its flagship facility located at 130-15 89th Road in Richmond Hill in her memory.

Simowitz also volunteered in Beth Israel Hospital North, Mary Manning Walsh Nursing Home and New York Hospital, and was a longtime member of Hadassah. The Sewarol Park High School Alumni Association honored Simowitz for her lifetime of achievements.