Stanley M. Zimmerman

June 18, 1932 - July 10, 2020 Stanley Zimmerman passed away on Friday July 10, 2020, less than a month after celebrating his 88th birthday on June 18th. Stanley was a philanthropist, business innovator, and strong supporter of government action to protect the rights of the individual. He was born in Terra Haute, Indiana, and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. In 1944 his parents Ben and Edith Zimmerman moved the family to Los Angeles, settling in Beverly Hills in 1947. Stan married the love of his life, Myrna Vickman on December 20, 1959, and together they raised four children, Jay, David, Thomas, and Rebecca. Stan started his business education in elementary school, helping his father with the beer distributing business, which Ben had founded when they lived in the Midwest. Stan would recount stories of the physical labor involved, cleaning up broken bottles and filling trucks. As is now well known, Stan always had a love affair with cars, which may have started with driving trucks in the beer yard, or maybe with the jalopy he bought and fixed up in his high school years. Decades later, this love culminated in his gathering a collection of rare, beautiful, and unique cars which became the Automobile Driving Museum of El Segundo, California - which he founded and for which he was the principal sponsor. Stan's business career began early and lasted long; and he loved to tell the stories, such as his success as a teenager, selling meat in bulk to homeowners. His college career was interrupted by a stint in the military during the Korean conflict. Fortunately for him, because of his typing and organizational skills, he was sent to Germany (then occupied), and served as a secretary to a general, and also the chief clerk in a medical unit. While in Europe, never one to sit on his hands, Stan acquired sets of fine china and shipped them back to the states to be resold; he helped a friend of his father's in the business of plywood manufacturing and distribution; and continued feeding his car dreams by acquiring an Austin Healy which he had shipped home at the end of his tour of duty. Stan finished his college career at UCLA, majoring in Finance. In recognition of his gratitude for his education, Stan later funded a chair position in the Economics Department of UCLA. After graduating UCLA, Stan was accepted to and began attending Law School, having a predilection and natural talent for it. Always, though, preferring hands on to work and build, Stan opted instead to rejoin his father, Benjamin Zimmerman, helping to found and grow Mortgage Refinance Company which became one of the leading lenders in the then new second mortgage loan business in California. An innovator in the field, Stan helped to develop the first consumer disclosure form for mortgages to protect the rights of the consumer. For over forty years, he worked closely with various California Legislators to develop ideas to grow the available sources of consumer capital while at the same time protecting the rights of consumers. He was active in the Mortgage Brokers Institute (now the California Mortgage Association) serving in many capacities including Legislative Chair and President. As the consumer mortgage industry grew and became national in scope, Stan put his passion and energy into a new organization, the National Home Equity Mortgage Association. He served this trade association for many years, again holding many offices, including Chairman of the Board. Stan also supported politicians who aligned with his views on the rights of the average working taxpayer, both by financial gifts and by providing strategic advice. He served on many state committees involving legislative programs, and was appointed to the prestigious California Little Hoover Commission in 2000, where served for more than three years. He was the principal author of a study "Back to the Community: Safe & Sound Parole Policies" in which he worked to create a plan to reduce recidivism, with a passionate support of parolees. Stan also worked tirelessly to support and grow the Concern Foundation for Cancer Research, which had been supported by his loving sister Mynda and her friends. Mynda's tragic passing early in her life from cancer, moved Stan to continuously devote substantial energy and support to Concern over his lifetime. In addition to UCLA, and Concern, Stan and Myrna were members of and supporters of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Stan was a mentor to many in the finance business, providing his guidance and capital to help others succeed. In his relatively quieter later years, Stan devoted his energy to growing the Automobile Driving Museum. His philosophy is encapsulated in the mission that he created for the museum: namely that it be an everyman's museum, where the public could get up close to the cars, so they could experience them as he did. Stan is survived by his loving wife Myrna, his son Jay, his son David and his wife Lisa, his son Thomas and his wife Kat, and his daughter Rebecca, as well as six grandchildren. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Concern Foundation for Cancer Research.