KARL ZIMMERMAN

It is with great sadness that the family of Karl Zimmerman, 46, of Fort Frances, Ont., announces his passing on Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at La Verendrye General Hospital in Fort Frances after a very courageous battle with an unknown illness.
Karl will be greatly missed by his loving wife and best friend, Valerie; his parents, Michael and Elisabeth Zimmerman of Emo, Ont.; sisters, Liz (Jon) Forrester of Emerson, Man., Lucy (Gary) Wilson of Devlin, Ont., and Mary (Doug) Hyatt of Burriss, Ont.; and brothers, Ted (Debbie) Zimmerman of Emo, Ont., Peter (Dawn) Zimmerman of St. Paul, Mn., and Bernie (Rosanne) Zimmerman of Emo, Ont.
Also surviving are his mother-in-law, Audrey Forster of Fort Frances, Ont.; brother-in-law, Bill (Terri) Forster of Keewatin, Ont.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Karl was predeceased by his brother, Henry Zimmerman; his father-in-law, Pat Forster; and Valerie’s grandma, Nellie Forster.
Karl also leaves behind his very special friends, Darrell and Angela DeGagne; and the partners and staff of Stewart, Sande & Zimmerman, Chartered Accountants, of Fort Frances.
Karl was born Jan. 2, 1964 in Fort Frances.
He grew up on his family’s dairy farm in Emo. After graduating from Grade 13 at Fort Frances High School, he went on to Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ont., where he completed a three-year Accounting and Finance Program.
After graduating, Karl went to work for Ed Gosselin, Chartered Accountant, in Thunder Bay, Ont. Two years later, he moved back to Fort Frances to begin working for Stewart & Sande, Chartered Accountants.
Karl continued his studies and graduated with his Certified General Accountant designation in 1991, his Certified Management Accountant designation in 1992, his Certified Financial Planner designation in 1998, and his Chartered Accountant designation in 2004.
Karl fulfilled his dream by becoming a partner in the accounting firm of Stewart, Sande & Zimmerman, Chartered Accountants, on Oct. 1, 2004.
Karl married the love of his life, Valerie (Forster), on June 27, 1987. Their relationship grew from teenage sweethearts to best friends through almost 23 years of marriage.
Music was an integral part of both Karl and Valerie’s lives, whether singing, listening to music in their home or vehicles, and going to live concerts in Winnipeg.
Karl’s favourite pastime was sitting back while watching and listening to Valerie play the piano. Curling and reading also were two of his hobbies.
He had a real thirst for learning and continuously read, both for pleasure and knowledge. Karl had a passion for history, especially WWII airplanes. He also was one of the directors, as well as the treasurer, of the Rainy Lake Fisheries Charity Trust.
Fishing season was the highlight of Karl’s summers, whether fishing in his boat on Rainy Lake, with Forster cousins and friends in Saskatchewan, or on numerous fly-in trips through Rusty Myers.
One of Karl’s friends referred to him as a “gentle giant,” and no truer words were ever spoken. He was a quiet, soft-spoken man, but could make people laugh.
He had a heart of gold, and will be remembered and loved by all who knew him.
A memorial service celebrating Karl’s life and honouring his memory will be held Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 2 p.m. at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Fort Frances, with Fr. Francis Pudicherry and Fr. Wayne McIntosh officiating.
A luncheon will follow at St. Mary’s Church Hall.
If friends so desire, donations in Karl’s memory may be made to La Verendrye General Hospital, 110 Victoria Ave., Fort Frances, Ont., P9A 2B7 or c/o Green Funeral Home, P.O. Box 427, Fort Frances, Ont., P9A 3M8.
Online condolences may be offered at www.greenfuneralhomefortfrances.com
For the loving things you say and do, my heart will always belong to you.
Love,
Valerie