David Henry Zimmer

David Henry Zimmer, age 81, died May 27, 2008 at home after a lengthy battle with leukemia.

Memorial services will be held at 3:00 p.m., Saturday, June 14, 2008 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Cave Junction with Pastor Don Torala, officiating. Illinois Valley Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

In Lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Lovejoy Hospice, 939 S.E. 8th Street, Grants Pass, OR 97526 or to the building fund of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at PO Box 566, Cave Junction OR 97523.

He was born December 8, 1926 in Manhattan, New York. He grew up in Flushing, Long Island and lived most of his life in San Pedro, Montebello and Paso Robles, California. In 1960 he moved to Montebello and started the Auto & Truck Body Specialty shop, later opened Zimmer’s Truck Stop in the City of Commerce and in 1970 formed Standard Oil-Zimmer Service Center in Whittier. He also started a trucking company and opened a Freightliner Truck dealership.

In 1962, 1966, 1970 and 1974 he was elected to the Montebello City council, a total of 16 years and served as Mayor 4 times. Prior to his election he served on the Planning Commission and two years on the Police Reserves. He also established a sister city link with the city of Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico.

He was active in the Lions Club where he held almost every office and was voted “Lion of the Year”. He also served as a charter member of the Montebello YMCA, Montebello Explorer Scout troop, member of the Community Development Committee, chairman of the citizens drive to purchase a bus for the Crippled Children’s Society, general chairman of the committee which built and established the Veteran’s Memorial in the city park. In 1973 he received Montebello’s Annual All-Service Club’s “Citizen of the Year” award which he cherished. He was also a member of the Rio Hondo Shrine Club and Triad Masonic Lodge. In 1967 he was appointed by Governor Reagan to the Board of Directors of the 48th Agricultural District where he served as Vice President and then as President.

In 1978 he retired from his businesses and moved to a 40 acre ranch in Paso Robles, California where he became a gentleman rancher. After serveral years of ranching he became bored and opened Henry’s Audio Video store in Atascadero and later added another store in Paso Robles.

In June of 1991 he moved to Cave Junction, and became a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. In April of 1996 he was asked to Chair the church building committee. Many meetings and planning sessions were held and by November there was a final vote on the floor plan and construction was begun in July 1997. This was a church truly built by all it’s members and in 1999 when the church was dedicated, complete with a beautiful stained glass window made by him, the mortgage was also burned during the cememony.

He enjoyed traveling with his wife and together they visited 7 continents and over 100 countries. They celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary while on the Queen Mary 2 in November 2007. He had many hobbies including oil painting, sculpting in clay and wax, carving in wood and stain glass work.

Surviving are his wife, Carolyn of Cave Junction, daughter’s Catherine Zimmer Koehler of Napa, California and Patricia Correa Guzman of Mexico City; sons Arthur of Pomona, California, Steven of Paso Robles, California, David of Lake Mathews, California and Scott of Vancouver, Washington; 7 granchildren, Jason and Ryan Zimmer of Southern California, Oliver, Carlo and Aldo Guzman of Mexico City, Grace and Samuel Koehler of Napa, California and his two beloved Bishon puppies, Allie and Zoe.

He was preceded in death by his mother Augusta Rose Zimmer and brother Charles Zimmer