Francis Eugene Zimmerman

Our beloved Francis E. “Zip” Zimmerman passed away Monday, October, 13, 2014 at his home in King George, VA. Zip was born April 30, 1938 to William F. and Loretta (Weaver) Zimmerman in Hays, KS. He graduated from Hays High School in 1956 and entered the United States Navy and retired after 20 years. He worked for the United States Civil Service and retired in 2001 after more than 20 years’ service. Zip is predeceased by his parents; his brothers, Virgil, Charles, and Ernest (Porky); and his stepson, Bill. Zip was an accomplished photographer in the Navy and U.S. Government. He is noted for many documentaries in the U.S. Navy libraries, served with the Taiwan Defense Command, USS Yorktown, Combat Camera Group, Naval Photographic Center, and The White House Press. He also served on several of the Navy’s aircraft carriers and ships. He was a Vietnam veteran, serving three tours in the Vietnam War. Some of Zip’s proudest and greatest accomplishments were serving as the official U.S. Navy photographer for the Apollo 8 splashdown and serving Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford as a personal White House Press photographer, traveling to historical summits, treaties, and countries with the presidents and their dignitaries. Zip is survived by his wife, Joan Zimmerman; his daughter, Vicki Zimmerman; his sons, Doug Zimmerman, Larry Zimmerman, Gary Zimmerman and wife Lili, and Justin Zimmerman and wife Amy; his step-daughters, Karen Rochelle and Kimberly Chester and husband Steve; his sisters, Darlene Herbel and Tammy Dreiling; his grandchildren, Joseph, Crystal, and Jillian Ackerman, Christine, Christian, and Joshua Zimmerman, Jake and Ryan Zimmerman, Cecelia, Angelica, Larry Jr., and JJ Zimmerman, Nicholas, Kristen, and Cameron Rochelle, Greg Kleinschmidt, and Kelsey Hartzfeld; his great-grandchildren, Brayden and Kyla Ackerman and Gregory Kleinschmidt; and 15 nieces and nephews. Interment with Navy Honors at 1PM on Friday, December 5, 2014 at the Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made in his memory to Vietnam Veterans of America - http://www.vva.org, Wounded Warrior Project - thtps://support.woundedwarriorproject.org, ASPCA - https://www.aspca.org/donate; Humane Society - https://secure.humanesociety.org. Online condolences may be sent to the family at raymondfuneralservice.com.

Francis Eugene Zimmerman

April 30, 1938 - October 13, 2014