David L. Zimmerman

David L. Zimmerman, 62, of Amston, departed life on Friday (March 23, 2018) at Hartford Hospital. Born May 12, 1955 in Washington, D.C., he was the eldest son of the late Harry and Donna (Babb) Zimmerman. Dave grew up in northern Virginia, and learned to hunt from his father. An activity he later shared with his best friend, Russ Geer, as well as teaching his own wife, Debbie Dudley.  Mr. Zimmerman served our country for 14 years in the U.S. Navy, earning a dozen of combined commendations / awards / ribbons / metals throughout his career. Which he began by graduating 1st in his class (1975) at the Nuclear Power School, then becoming a Nuclear Instructor. He served on several boats which carried him around the world, and under the arctic ice, and included memorable ports of call in Australia; Toulon, France; Israel; and an island in the Indian Ocean. In addition to being a Chief Electricians Mate, “Z” also served as a Military Customs Inspector, and he finished his service on the USS City of Corpus Christi with an honorable discharge.  In his civilian career Dave worked in Manufacturing & Maintenance, which provided him with a broad spectrum of experience including printing, ammunitions / blasting caps, ball bearings. He also worked for a period of time in the deli at Stop & Shop, where he made many dear friends.  Dave enjoyed following sports, & was a dedicated gym-rat in younger years, as well as a >50 yrs. old runner when he ran in the Manchester Turkey Day race. As an adult he learned & participated in skiing, and golf. After moving to Amston with his wife in 2008, they both enjoyed the hiking programs organized by the Colchester Land Trust.  Dave was a man of many interests and talents. After the Navy, Dave obtained his Associates Degree from MCC.  From magician to locksmith to writer he taught himself the trade. He loved flight, and enjoyed 2 piloting experiences. Later in life Dave pursued his love of music by learning to play guitar. His 12-string was dubbed “Tomorrow”. Dave & Debbie loved attending the Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival throughout its 21 year history, and especially when it moved to Hebron.  A love of the arts was a joyful discovery for Dave. He loved ballet, and modern dance. Became a major cheerleader of his choreographer niece, Arianna Dudley. He loved history and taking tours of historic abodes & gardens. His interest in art included museum collections, as well as learning oil painting, drawing, and a stint with clay pottery. He was a collector of literature, coins, art prints, sculpture, & pottery.  In addition to his wife of 20 years, Dave is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Linda & Bob Johnson of Petersburg, MI; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Les & Sue Zimmerman of Culpeper, VA and Chuck & Janet Zimmerman of Fairfax, VA; six nieces and nephews, James & Michael, Marcie & Bethany Zimmerman, Cara & Arianna Dudley, as well as his brother-in-law and his wife, John Dudley & Alicia Isicson, and two beloved cats, Madelaine Wu & Phoebe Foo. Among the bereft are his many friends from Stop & Shop, from Cindy at Colchester Barbershop, from Mackey’s, from the Dial-A-Ride program at the Senior Center in Hebron, from his employer, Amgraph Packaging and the exceptional friends/co-workers there who made his final journey filled with love & care. David’s family would like to thank Kenny, Danny, Gary, Pamela, & Paul whose thoughtfulness sustained us all.  A celebration of his life will be observed at his home later this Spring and will be announced.  Donations in his memory may be made online at www.podunkbluegrass.com, www.birdnote.org, www.rescueme.org, or www.cthumane.org.  Care of arrangements has been entrusted to the Aurora-McCarthy Funeral Home of Colchester.

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