DEBRA DAWN ZIMMERMAN

DEBRA DAWN (STAMPER) ZIMMERMAN (1952-2013) Debra (Debbie) Zimmerman, 61, of Pine, Colorado, passed away December 28, 2013 at Swedish Medical Center, Englewood, Colorado. Debbie was born December 13, 1952 in St. Louis, Missouri, to Elbert and Augusta (Rusty) Stamper. She moved to Spring Hill, KS, with her family at age 12 when her father was transferred to work at the Air Traffic Control Center in Olathe. She was baptized in the First Baptist Church of Spring Hill at age 13. After graduating as Valedictorian from Spring Hill, Kansas high school, Debbie married Kenneth Zimmerman (Kenny) of Stilwell, on June 25, 1971. Debbie gave birth to their sons Kyle in 1976 and Brock in 1979. The family moved from Stilwell, to Glen Ellyn Countryside, IL (Chicago) in July 1980 when Kenny was transferred to work at the Pepsi-Cola Corporate office in Elmhurst, IL. More Pepsi transfers moved the family to Danville, Il., 1981-86, Columbia, MO, 1986-88, Sedalia, MO, 1988-89, and back to Stilwell, Kansas, August 1989. Debbie was a devoted mother to her family, getting the boys into little league baseball, swimming, scouting, bible school, and especially soccer (a Soccer Mom). She led Kenny to join the YMCA Indian Guides & Scouts in Danville. She was a great bowler on teams in Elmhurst, the Women's Elks in Danville, and teams with her mother and friends in Olathe. She signed her sons to play soccer on elite and traveling teams during the mid 1980s-1990s at Heritage Park, Olathe, with tournaments in Springfield, MO, Alton, IL, and several times at the Air Force Academy in Colorado, Springs. Both sons became varsity goalies for Blue Valley High school. Debbie loved ceramics, crocheting, and decorative stitching, and St. Louis Cardinals Baseball. She was a Cub Scout den mother in Columbia, MO, and Stilwell, KS. Debbie graduated from State Fair Community College, Sedalia, MO, with an Associate's degree in Business in 1989. In May 1994 she graduated from JCCC School of Nursing and was pinned Registered Nurse. She loved to care for the elderly and worked for various skilled nursing homes in the KC area and became Director of Nursing at Beverly's Parkway Care in Edwardsville (now Golden Living) in 1998. After the death of her mother in 2001, Debbie accepted a D.O.N. position at McLaran Care Center in St. Louis. She moved to Pine, Colorado, in 2005 and became a traveling nurse. During the last 8 years she worked as Interim D.O.N., MDS coordinator, and Nurse Consultant for numerous care centers in cities across the country. She was currently on assignment with Good Samaritan Center in Tyndall, South Dakota. Debbie never lost the art of nursing, and was loved by the many residents whose lives she touched. Her dream was to 'make a difference'! Survivors include her husband and two sons, grandchildren Kaden and Kyleigh Zimmerman, sister Rhonda Davis, brothers Kip and Kirk Stamper, all of the Kansas City area. Debbie loved and will be dearly missed by her nieces and nephews, Bethany, Cameron, Morgan, Zach, Bo, Alyssa, Sydney, Dawson, Gage, with many friends across the country. Friends may call 6 to 8 p.m. Friday January 10, 2014 at D.W. Newcomer's Sons, Johnson County Chapel, 11200 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS. Funeral services will be at same location at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 11, 2014. Cremation.