Ralph Zimmerman

“Everyone’s got an expiration date.” Ralph was an Oregon native born in Portland, June 15, 1929 to Doris and Roy Zimmerman. He was a graduate of Calexico High School, Calexico, California, where he became fluent in Spanish. He graduated from Southwestern University in Waxahachie, Texas with a degree in Spanish. During a school break with his college roommate, Phil Davidson, he met Phil’s little sister Dorothy, who soon became the love of his life, and his wife in 1952. Together they raised four daughters, and one son in Southern California, where he worked and retired after 27 years as a retail grocery clerk. He was a long time member of Retail Clerks Union and AFL-CIO in California. After retirement he moved with Dorothy to Oregon, then to Winterhaven, Florida, before returning to Medford, Oregon in 2013. His passions were his family, his Christian faith, Baseball, and western novels. He was active in many churches over the years serving as an elder and deacon. Most recently he was a member of the Nazarene Church where he attended services and Bible study groups at both the church and Fountain Plaza Retirement, where he maintained a residence for two years until his death May 11, 2019, of heart disease. He was preceded in death by his wife of over 60 years, Dorothy, who passed May 31, 2015; his mother Doris May, father, Roy Edwin; brother-in-laws; Phil, and Ed, sister-in-laws; Wilma, Barbara, and Mary, son-in-law; Guy, daughter-in-law; Laura, grandson, John Wayne, and granddaughter, Brianne. He is survived by his brother-in-law, James Scoggins of Roseburg, Oregon; his children, Susan, John, Anna and Karen of Medford, Bonnie of Lake Forest, California. Grandchildren; Kayela, Zuy, Michele, Nichole, Sean, of Medford, Sarah and Adam of Lake Forest, Joshua Menke of Roseville, Michigan, great-grandchildren; Blair, and Layla; great great grandchildren; Aubrey and Dani of Medford. Services scheduled for Thursday, May 23, 2019, 3:30 pm, Fountain Plaza Retirement, 1441 Morrow Road, Medford, Oregon, 97504.