Carl & Margaret Zimmerman

Carl Zimmerman passed away on May 17,2020 at 93 years old. His wife, Margaret Zimmerman, passed away on January 27,2023, at 94 years old. Carl and Margaret were married for 73 years. They will be buried at Wesley Chapel. Carl was born, Carl Lemuel Zimmerman, on March 26, 1927, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Mary (Hynson) Zimmerman and Carl Zimmerman Sr. Carl, the oldest of three was raised in Rock Hall, where his maternal ancestors have lived for over 100 years. Margaret was born Margaret Anna Schmidt, on July 19,1928 in Takoma Park, Maryland to Viola Schmidt and John Schmidt. Margaret was the sixth child of ten for the Schmidt’s. She along with her four sisters and five brothers were raised in Takoma Park. Carl and Margaret were high school sweethearts, meeting at Shenandoah Valley Academy in Virginia. They were married on January 26, 1947. Together they moved their family, which would eventually become seven, around the east coast so that Carl could further his education in math and career in academia. They lived throughout the state of Maryland, once in Louisiana, one winter in Rhode Island, a few years in Florida, and finally returned to Maryland. Carl graduated from Washington College in 1951 with his Bachelor of Science degree. The family moved to Burtonsville, Maryland where Carl started his first job as home room teacher at Lisbon High School. In 1957, after the launch of Sputnik, the US realized it needed to increase students in Science and Math. The Government offered teachers scholarships to further their education and a living stipend. This allowed Carl to gain his graduate degree in math. By this point, the Zimmerman’s had grown their family of five to six, with the birth of Richard. The family moved in 1960 to Baton Rouge, Louisiana where Carl did his graduate studies at Louisiana State University and received a master’s degree in mathematics. After their time in Louisiana the family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida where Carl taught in higher education at Palm Beach Junior College. In 1962, Wayne was born, completing the Zimmerman family. The family eventually returned to Maryland, where Carl started working for Townson State University. He also began his Ph.D. from The University of Maryland, which he completed in 1972. Margaret took care of their five children: Steven, David, Dawna, Richard, and Wayne. Beyond raising the kids, she was involved in community programs such as the Arc of Howard County. She also enjoyed having a vegetable garden and collecting knickknacks. Carl was also a bricklayer and home builder, building and designing many of the homes they lived in. Carl retired from teaching after 30 years in 1985 and started a second career, with the help of Margaret, as the owner of a pool and supply business with stores in Sykesville and Frederick, Maryland. In their later years, Carl and Margaret were snowbirds, living between summers in Maryland and winters in Florida. While Carl was a good teacher, if not a tough one, he was fisherman at heart. He had a boat called “Knuckleheads” which he claimed was named after his grandkids. Both Carl and Margaret loved living close to the water and going for walks on the beach, where Margaret collected seashells. Carl and Margaret were lifelong members of the Seventh-day Adventist church. They are survived by their sons Steven Zimmerman of Bel Air, Maryland; David Zimmerman, also a snowbird; and daughter Dawna Friestad of Lake Mary, Florida; They were Grandpa and Grandma to eleven grandchildren; Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma to thirteen great grandchildren. Carl is survived by his brother Elmer Zimmerman and Elmer’s wife Trudy Zimmerman of Chestertown, Maryland. Margaret is survived by two sisters: Mildred Martin of Mills River, North Carolina and Barbara Sweatman. Services for Carl and Margaret Zimmerman will be held graveside at Wesley Chapel, 6065 Rock Hall Road, Rock Hall, Maryland on May 5, 2023 at 11:00am. Reception following at Fellows, Helfenbein and Newman, 130 Speer Road, Chestertown, Maryland.

Carl & Margaret Zimmerman

July 19, 1928 - January 27, 2023