Joe was born in 1924 in Havana, Illinois, the youngest of five children to Dr. Frank and Gertrude Zimmerman. His father, a veterinarian, always said Joe was the most expensive kid he had, as the doctor had just raised his delivery fee to $15.00.
Joe moved to Effingham, Illinois, when he was 2 1/2 years old. He left high school after his junior year to join the US Army during World War II, serving 2 1/2 years in Germany, earning the Infantry Combat Badge of Honor. After an honorable discharge, he returned to Effingham and completed high school. He attended Eastern Illinois University where he played on the basketball team. He moved to Kansas City in 1950 to sell pharmaceuticals. He then met a “fantastic girl”, Grace G. Gwinner, when she sold him an insurance policy she had specifically designed for single, professional, young men. They married in 1951, and were married for 65 years. Together they enjoyed playing golf and bridge, dance club, showing their basenji dogs in conformation, agility and lure coursing, and most importantly raising their two children, Jane and Jack.
Wanting to spend less time traveling and more time with his family, he started his own home building business, Zimmerman Homes. Retiring from the home building business in 1975, he followed his passions taking cooking classes, becoming a Johnson County Master Gardner where he eventually becoming Master Gardner of the year in 1987 and receiving the Distinguished Service Award in 1998. He was an avid volunteer using his construction skills to build raised flower beds, over 50 tomato cages one year, and many climbing toys for kids at Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead. Joe always had a beautiful garden containing perennials, annuals, and vegetables. “I really like the beauty of flowers. I look at them and wonder how anything could be created so beautifully.” He volunteered into his nineties for Village Church Food Pantry picking up and delivering donated food.
No one brought more joy to him than his family children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to a nonprofit near to Joe's heart, the Veterans Community Project. Donations may be made at www.veteranscommunityproject.org or mailed to Veterans Community Project, 8900 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64131
