Sylvia Valery Zimmer

On April 9th, at 1:16pm, my beautiful, 81 year old Mom followed the angels of her Dad and Mom, Joseph and Cora Jovanich, and her Sister, V.J. Nyari, that were in her room, to heaven. We know her beloved companion of 30 years, her parrot “Chicken,” was waiting for her on the other side of the rainbow. My nurturing big sister, Kym Zimmer, was by her side, my so-so handsome brother, Billy Joe Zimmer (Amy,) who was on his way to Florida from Indiana, was talking to her on the phone, and I, Erikka Thalheimer, was on my way back to the Hospice House with my daughter. Her proudest accomplishments in life was being an extraordinary Baba (Grandmother in Serbian) to Dan & Matt Black, Billy, who was also by her side when she flew, & Reagan Thalheimer and Noah & Emily Zimmer, along with being haled as the best double-Baba, in the universe, to her great-grandchildren, Dylan & Kayli Black.

There are no buildings, or streets named after Mom, but if she will be judged, in the end, by the devoted friends and family that she loved and helped, she didn’t need to have a building or street named after her. She would give the shirt off her back to help people, and that is what made her a great person, as well as a great sister to her devoted younger sisters, Mary Moore (Bob) and Ella Pullin (George.) She was a beautiful, kind, helpful, cantankerous, stubborn, spiteful, compassionate, giving, loving, strong, woman, and the list could go on and on. What word would you use to describe Sylvia Zimmer?

If you want to, you can look for her in the trees, orchids and the birds… You know she’ll be there in one form or another. Of course, that will probably comfort some while antagonizing others, but you know her… she will find pleasure in both!

I’ll leave you with this…please don’t cry because she’s gone; instead be happy that she was here. Today, she is happy and probably laughing while toasting each and everyone of us.

Kym, Bill and Erikka (Ricki) will be hosting a Pot-luck Garage Sale themed Celebration of Life at 2014 Aruba Avenue, S.E., Ft. Myers, Florida 33905 on April 21st from 6 – 9. If you knew our Mom, you will understand how much the theme fits!

If you would like to make a donation in our Mom’s honor, you may contribute to YogaCAN (The Cancer Alliance of Naples) at YogaCAN18.Gesture.com, or mail to The Cancer Alliance of Naples, 3384 Wood’s Edge Circle, Unit 102, Bonita Springs, Florida 34134.

Our lives were better because of Sylvia Zimmer… Kym Black, Bill Zimmer & Erikka (Ricki) Thalheimer