Adolph Edward II “Tony,”
retired U.S. Coast Guard captain, 66, Southmont, died July 26, 2015, in
Johnstown
. Born July 21, 1949, in
Oklahoma City
,
Okla.
, son of Adolph E. and Catherine (Dreyer) Zimmer. Preceded in death by parents
and sisters, Ann and Elizabeth. Survived by his loving wife, Carla (Sinerchio);
children, Lisa, Chicago; David, married to Kristina, Seattle; Erik,
Seattle
; and Anthony,
Philadelphia
; grandchildren, Edelyn and Edgerly, Seattle; and siblings, Mary Lezotte, Sara
Grove, Ellen Zimmer, Christopher Zimmer, Molly Zimmer, Carolyn MacFarland,
Jennifer Duval, Emily Pearson and Joy Small, and their spouses and children.
Tony was a decorated Coast Guard
helicopter pilot, including a Distinguished Flying Cross for his assistance in
the rescue of 18 people in
Cape May
,
N.J.
He loved flying and watching his 6’5” frame fold into the cockpit was the
subject of Coast Guard lore. As the son of an Air Force officer and aviator, his
childhood was spent all over the country and the world from
Texas
to
France
to
San Francisco
.
While at
University
of
San Francisco
, he met Carla, and the two married in 1974. She was the love of his life. In
his words “She is just beautiful! She’s been stalwart and steady for 40
years of me dragging her all over the country. She’s been an absolutely
perfect mother for our children. She is tiny, but her generosity is gigantic.”
They were quite the pair, with their 19-inch height difference. Their Coast
Guard life took them to
California
,
Florida
,
Oregon
,
New Jersey
,
Alabama
,
Alaska
, D.C. and
Pennsylvania
, where he retired after serving as a Coast Guard Liaison to the National Drug
Intelligence Center (NDIC) in
Johnstown
. He also spent time in Antarctica and
Greenland
. His trips to
Antarctica
were among his finest memories, getting up close with penguins and walruses
while flying government scientists around on the ice for research.
He retired from the Coast Guard
in 2000 and has been involved with various businesses in
Johnstown
since that time as well as serving two years as a city manager in
Sitka
,
Alaska
.
Tony was enormously proud of his
children and delighted in spending time with his grandchildren. He was loved by
many, cited as “an honorable professional, yet had a tremendous sense of
humor.” A devout Catholic, he shared his faith through his involvement in Our
Mother of Sorrows. He was an avid reader, and was always quick with a joke and
thoughtful with words of wisdom. He will be missed by many, most of all his
family.
Friends and family will be
received from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 31, at Frank Duca Funeral Home, Westmont
Chapel,
1622 Menoher Blvd.
Friends and family will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday at Our Mother of Sorrows
Catholic Church for a funeral Mass to celebrate his life, with the Very Rev.
Mark S. Begly. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Our Mother of
Sorrows Catholic Church, in memory of A.E. “Tony” Zimmer II. Condolences may
be sent through www.ducafuneralhome.com.
