Irvin M. Zimet

Irvin M Zimet

November 10, 2015

Irvin M Zimet, a resident of Ft Myers, FL passed away on November 10, 2015 after a brief illness. He was at home surrounded by his loving family while Frank Sinatra's song I've Got the World on a String played. Irv was predeceased by his granddaughter Tara Keller(Zimet) Lennox, his wife of 60 years, Hazel Keller (Caulkins) Zimet and his older sisters Eleanor and Gladys.

Irv spoke intensely about the values of hard work, loyalty and the dedication to family, job and country. He delighted in showing the photos of his family that filled his house. He would tell you about his son Mike, a graduate of the Naval Academy, who retired from the Naval Reserves as a Captain and who enjoyed a successful career in the corporate world and later as a teacher. Irv would tell you about his grandson Michael, also a graduate of the Naval Academy, who is currently serving as a Lieutenant in the Navy. He will tell you about his daughter Martha, who received her Masters from UC Berkeley and continues a successful career in Silicon Valley. Mike (Mari) lives in Oriental, North Carolina. Michael (Tara) lives in Alexandria, Virginia. Martha (Debra) lives in Bonny Doon, California.

Irv met his future wife, Hazel Keller Caulkins, in the famous Summer of '42 when both were 17 year old high school graduates. Irv enlisted in the Army at the age of 17, and served as the youngest 1st Sergeant in the Paratroopers in Europe during World War II, and marched proudly with his unit, the 82nd Airborne, down Fifth Avenue, New York City, during the victory celebration in January, 1946.

Irv held a B.S. from Case Western Reserve in Cleveland and a postgraduate degree from Dartmouth College. Irv had a long and extremely successful career in the corporate world that spanned Ohio, New York and Maryland. He held executive positions with Olivetti Underwood, Gramm Trailer Corporation, Victoreen Instrument Company and Interphoto Corporation. His long association with Victoreen (VLN, a subsidiary of Sheller-Globe) began while he was a graduate student at Dartmouth and continued off and on throughout his career. Often commuting between New York, Milan and Tokyo, Irv helped establish Interphoto as an international camera distribution conglomerate, composed of Argus in the US, Minolta in Italy and Yashica in Japan.

When VLN was acquired by Sheller-Globe in 1974, Irv assumed the position of Vice President of Sheller-Globe and in 1976 he became the president of Sheller-Globe's Office Products Group. When American Trading acquired Globe-Weiss and Crawford Industries from Sheller-Globe in 1987, Irv joined ATAPCO as Senior Vice President and in 1988, became President of the Office Products Group. Irv was named a director of the corporation in 1990. Always dedicated to his industry, Irv served as president of the Association of Business Products Manufacturers from 1989-1991.

Upon retirement from ATAPCO in 1992, Irv enjoyed playing golf and tending to his immaculate property in Whiskey Creek. He loved to harvest avocados, bananas, and other fruit from his trees on the property and donated several Royal Palms from his property to the Whiskey Creek Country Club. During his retirement, Irv loved family visits when his children and grandchildren would arrive for vacation and with his loving companion Trudy Goldsbury, Irv enjoyed many years of travel and fine dining.

Irv loved to tell stories and always enjoyed a good joke, with his incredible sense of humor intact until his last breath. Irv will be missed immensely by his family and many friends throughout the US.

If you would like to remember Irv, donations can be made in his name to Hope Hospice, at https://www.hopehospice.org/donate/