Earl Donald Zimmerman

Earl Donald Zimmerman went home to his Lord on November 6, 2017, after a long and wonderful life on this earth. Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, he graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School and attended Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. After his tour with the Army, he worked as a police reporter and then as Bureau Manager at the Omaha World Herald. He married the love of his life, Barbara Lane and had three children before moving to New Mexico to work as the public relations manager at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. Earl’s next adventure took the family to San Diego where he worked as the Public Relations Director at General Atomic, an energy and research laboratory. After retirement, he and Barbara moved to Green Valley, Arizona.

Earl, known as Bud while growing up, and Zim or Z to his friends, is remembered as an adventurous family man, having spent a life of summer vacations traveling all over the southwest camping and exploring. His love of the parks, the canyons, the mountains and history brought joy, fun and priceless memories to his wife and kids. Over the years, his unrelenting enthusiasm for travel led him to buy a motor home and hit the road. There are too many stories to tell, but Earl never met a person he couldn’t engage in lively and interesting conversation. His sense of humor and love for people were his natural characteristics. He made friends all through his travels, and his friendships lasted a lifetime.

Earl is predeceased by his beloved son, Larry and brothers, Robert and Kenny. He is survived by his wife, Barbara and his daughters, Laney Brown (Robert) and Joni Haza (Colin), grandchildren, Kasey Pruitt Tait (Brandon), Sean Klingler (Lauren), Danny Klingler (Mary) and Susan Payne (John). His great-grandchildren are Gabriel Cardenas, Shaun Tait, Austin Payne and Zoe Payne. Husband, Dad, Grandpa and Great-Grandpa will be dearly missed.

Kasey posted the following remembrance shortly after she lost her Grandpa.

“I always thought my grandparents had the coolest life…they spent most of the golden years traveling the country in their motorhome…just road trippin’ through life! When I was little they would tell me stories about the places they went and all the people they met and brought me little souvenirs like raw turquoise from New Mexico and tiny pine cones from New Hampshire. Earl Zimmerman, you were the coolest, and we will miss you. Rest with the angels, Grandpa. We love you forever.”

Funeral Services will be at 3:30 P.M., Saturday, November 11, 2017, in the Chapel of Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home with Deacon Jesse Casarez officiating. Interment will follow at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Memorial Park.