AMHERST — “That’s Entertainment” played Friday night in the Mitch Simon Theater, the newest addition to the Weinberg Campus. And while several seniors — dressed to the nines for the occasion — walked or rolled down a red carpet before the show, Simon’s absence was felt deeply by the entire assemblage.

Simon, 94, passed away one month to the day before the theater’s grand opening, but the memory of his advocacy on behalf of his fellow residents at Weinberg will live on with his neighbors and the staff who knew him so well.

John Simon, Mitch’s son, said his father worked for the state Department of Labor for 39 years before retirement, but refused to leave the Town of Tonawanda for promotions that would have taken him to Albany.

“He didn’t want to be that far from his grandchildren, my children,” the younger Simon said.

But even when Simon’s father left his home 12 years ago and moved to into Weinberg, he continued to be an advocate for the people. Nicole Passantino, the Weinberg Campus marketing director, said Simon was know as the “mayor of Weinberg,” injecting himself into the operation of the community and finding out what people needed to settle in and feel like they belonged.

“He got to know people,” Passantino said. “He was concerned and took an interest in everybody, no matter who they were.”

Showing films became a big part of Simon’s efforts to make his fellow residents feel comfortable and at home. John Simon said his father donated hundreds of movies to the home’s collection, showing them in the common area. “Classic Theater with Mitch,” as the events came to be called, usually featured movies from decades ago, when many of the residents were in their prime. John said those viewings allowed seniors to relive a time in their lives, if only for a little while.

“It takes them back to the experiences they had as young people, the things they felt, the people they knew,” the younger Simon said.

After talking with more people, many of whom were born in foreign countries, Simon added movies from around the world into the mix. For those who lived in those locales and speak the language, the movie proved to be a rare and special treat. For others, Passantino said it was a chance to visit a place they never had a chance to go.

“It allowed residents to travel the world while sitting down,” she said.

The computer that John bought for his father added to Simon’s ability to keep people connected to the things they loved, allowing him to help others send correspondence to far-away family and soldiers deployed overseas.

His curiosity for what made his neighbors tick also led the elder Simon to pick one to feature in Weinberg’s monthly newsletter. Even after those people had passed away, their stories were given a permanent place in a book kept in the office.

“The surviving children of those residents really liked that,” the younger Simon said.

Now John Simon is one of those surviving children, accepting handshakes and condolences with a heavy heart from people who knew and loved his father. But as a man dressed in a tuxedo shot by in a wheelchair, he was forced to smile and admit that his father would have liked the end result of his efforts very much.

The new theater, which took two months to complete, can seat up to 40 people, whether they’re in wheelchairs or not. The place is also soundproof, something the younger Simon said will allow moviegoers to crank up the volume for the full cinematic experience without disturbing anyone else. The screen has been flickering with Oscar-winning movies from years gone by all week in anticipation of Friday’s event. Clare Root, director of community outreach and campus life, said the films played to a packed house during three or four showings each day.

In addition to bringing movies to those who can’t get out to see one, the room will also be available for families to bring in their own home movies or photo slideshows, uniting the feel of a gathering in the living room at home with the senior’s new living arrangements. Classic movie posters like “Gone with the Wind” and “Casablanca” line the walls, but the one from “The Wizard of Oz” resonated strongly with the mission that John Simon said his father worked tirelessly to complete.

“The line is, ‘There’s no place like home,’” the younger Simon said. “He wanted to make this feel like home for people who can’t live by themselves anymore.”

Contact reporter Daniel Pyeat 693-1000, ext. 158.