John Leo Zimmer

1944 - 2024

John Leo Zimmer obituary, 1944-2024, Arvada, CO

John Leo Zimmer

1944 - 2024

John Zimmer Obituary

Published by Legacy Remembers on Mar. 25, 2024.
Our beloved John Leo Zimmer passed away from complications of Parkinson's disease on Saturday, March 23, 2024. While we will miss him terribly, we are comforted by our memories of our times together and the legacy he leaves through a life of curiosity, mischievousness, service, faith, and compassion.

John was born in Olympia, Washington on October 11, 1944, the eldest of seven children to Leo Francis and Mary Gertrude Zimmer of Omaha, Nebraska. John was a 1962 graduate of Creighton Prep High School and attended Conception Seminary, graduating with a degree in Philosophy and Greek, eventually leaving the seminary to marry the love of his life, Jean Seeta (Ramson).

John was drafted to service in the Army and stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina where he and Jean welcomed their daughter Shanta Mary. After his military service as a Green Beret and medic, John attended medical school at the University of Nebraska. Upon graduation, John moved the family to Kalamazoo, Michigan for residency training in Family Medicine. He completed a two-year Robert Wood Johnson fellowship in health care informatics at the University of Iowa and then joined the faculty at Mercer University Medical School in Macon, Georgia. Throughout John's medical career he focused on the innovative and the cutting edge: in Macon, John was honored and excited to lead problem-based learning groups, a new curricular innovation in US medical schools at the time; and later, he started an independent primary care practice where he was one of the pioneers in the country to implement an electronic health record for the practice using the open-source MUMPS programming language. The MUMPS initiative fed his decades long fascination with the promise of computers in health care and his spirit of curiosity and problem solving.

John's life was greatly enriched by his being able to share a life devoted to medicine with his daughter, Shanta, and with her husband, Fernando Holguin.

Moving closer to their roots in the Midwest, John and Jean left Macon in 1996 and settled in Glenwood, Iowa where he practiced rural family medicine and served as a preceptor for medical students from his alma mater University of Nebraska through the early 2000s. John was known for caring and spending time with his patients in a deeply human and empathic manner, challenging the less personal time restrictions of conventional appointment times often seen in medicine. Wherever he practiced, he always had a special bond and concern for veterans.

After his retirement, John enjoyed driving across country to visit his grandsons, Mateo John and Diego Tomas. He took the boys on several road trips and especially enjoyed an annual drive to Martha's Vineyard where he led the extended crew of cousins and in-laws on expeditions that included kite flying, fishing, or simply taking long walks to explore nature. Children of all ages could count on Uncle John to explore creeks, swamps, forests, or mountains with them as long as they were willing to pause for identifying the birds, wildflowers, mushrooms, and insects along the way. One of his favorite hikes occurred on his 75th birthday where he surprised even himself with a slow, steady climb to Lake Haiyaha in Rocky Mountain National Park; a hike he and his college roommate completed in their early twenties. Snow flurries and diminishing mobility did not deter him from showing his grandsons the beauty of adventure, resiliency, and the power of the journey. The hike would not have been possible without intense coaching to prepare for the hike by one of his newest and closest friends, Tyler Matlock, who supported John's wishes to keep gardening, weightlifting, and even running through the late stages of his disease.

We are grateful to have been on the wonderful journey with John Leo, a model of curiosity with a spirit of adventure, to the end. Special thanks to the incredible team of staff and fellow residents and their families at Applewood Our House and Dignity Hospice who have shown him love, friendship, and laughter through these final steps. He will be remembered with a smile by all whose lives he has touched, especially his devoted wife and daughter. John is survived by his wife of 54 years, Jean Seeta, his daughter Shanta Mary (Fernando), sisters Mary Ann, ND and Jeanne Rita Barzydlo; and brothers Thomas, Edward (Patricia), Mark (Mary Lou Flearl), and Matthew (Susan Dauphinee); his grandsons Mateo John and Diego Tomas and dozens of nieces, nephews, and in-laws.



A celebratory Mass will be held at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church in Glenwood, Iowa on May 11, 2024 at 10:30 AM. The family will direct gifts in his honor to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research https://www.michaeljfox.org. Condolences may be addressed to Jean Seeta Zimmer, 2980 N. Syracuse St., Apt #322, Denver, CO 80238.

What is good has been explained to you, man; this is what the LORD asks of you: only this, to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God. [Micah 6:8]

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Sign John Zimmer's Guest Book

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September 18, 2024

Sonia C. Flores planted trees.

June 7, 2024

Aerial Jones posted to the memorial.

April 16, 2024

KPCLA Anita Grier Court 397 planted trees.

Single Memorial Tree

Sonia C. Flores

Planted Trees

Aerial Jones

June 7, 2024

Rest In Peace

Single Memorial Tree

KPCLA Anita Grier Court 397

Planted Trees

Bonnie McCune

April 4, 2024

So sorry for your loss. I remember John's dedication to maintaining his physical well-being in Tai Chi and Jean's constancy and assistance. A wonderful example of a true partnership.

M S

April 2, 2024

Thank you for your military service

Debbie DeYoung

April 1, 2024

Jean, My sincere condolences to you and your family on John's passing. You all will be in my prayers.
I'm a better person for knowing John and yourself!

Grove of 100 Memorial Trees

AMC ID department

Planted Trees

Jessica Ames

March 30, 2024

Dr. Zimmer was always a kind and gentle and cheerful man. I always enjoyed spending time at Dr. and Mrs. Zimmer´s house when hanging with Shanta.

Tyler Matlock

March 29, 2024

Friend, Gardner, Grandpa

Shanta Zimmer

March 29, 2024

Shanta Zimmer

March 29, 2024

Shanta Zimmer

March 29, 2024

Arches Nat Park, Grandpa and Diego at sunrise

Rebeca

March 29, 2024

Familia Holguín Oropeza

The legacy of love, kindness and perseverance that John instilled in Shanta will live forever in Mateo and Diego..
A hug from a distance
Love you

Michael Harris-Love

March 28, 2024

Your Dad sounds like an amazing person, I am sure that he will be missed by many. Please accept our sympathies during this time. Michael & Michelle

Group of 10 Memorial Trees

Sue Peth

Planted Trees

Mendoza

March 27, 2024

John was one of the sweetest men I´ve ever met I think my favorite memory would be the times we sat and talked over milk and cookies I miss my handsome fuzzy face so much

Evelyn Romeo

March 27, 2024

Evelyn Romeo

March 27, 2024

Evelyn Romeo

March 27, 2024

Evelyn Romeo

March 27, 2024

Evelyn Romeo

March 27, 2024

Evelyn Romeo

March 27, 2024

Evelyn Romeo

March 27, 2024

Evelyn Romeo

March 27, 2024

When I was around John, he wasn´t the most chatty person. But what I loved was when he did chime in it was with a perfectly timed joke, or a fact that I found fascinating!

When I went to visit John and Jean´s home in Denver, I counted myself lucky if I got a whiff of John´s freshly baked bread. And one of my favorite things was getting a tour of the backyard and getting an update on John´s fish and learning about all the plants that were blooming.
I love John´s appreciation of nature and the outdoors. I will never forget our hike to Lake Haiyaha and how much it meant to him to return to that spot. It was also memorable because of the snowstorm that blew in.

One of my favorite things about John is how much he cared about his family and the special bond he had with Mateo and Diego. I once watched them build a computer from scratch and was so impressed.

I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to know and learn from John. The way he approached the world with curiosity, his grit, and so much more will stick with me.

Andrea (Andi) Rapp

March 27, 2024

I am so sorry to hear of the passing of your Dad, Shanta. May his memory be a blessing. Love and light to you from me and my family.

Thomas James Zimmer

March 26, 2024

John was a larger-than-life figure for me when I was growing up. With his height and beard, young me always thought he was the picture of a Viking. He was fiercely intelligent but thoughtfully soft spoken. I remember him deftly making little robots from random electronics to astound my young eyes when I visited. I had the chance to get to know him better as an adult when he supported me in a low point in my life after I graduated college without a plan. He drove me across the country to Pittsburgh so I could get a research job and eventually start medical school. He was a role model for me becoming a doctor, and the kind of physician I hope to be.

Donna Williams

March 26, 2024

We knew John and Jean while they were in Macon when our daughters journeyed through high school band and music competitions at the same times. John was indeed soft spoken and gentle. Interestingly, this past Friday I passed their former home for the first time in many years. That neighborhood is a prime spot for viewing.Cherry trees in full bloom.

Our condolences to Jean and Shanta and to all the extended Zimmer family.

Donna and Mike Williams
Macon, Georgis

Familia Machele Holguin

March 26, 2024

Trip to North Calorina, backing bread, enjoying delicious foods together, exploring the nature and flying kites with our kids


Spending time together in Atlanta and Denver Colorado.

By Familia Machele Holguin(Mariana, Joseph, Sebastian and Matias)

Shanta Zimmer

March 26, 2024

Shanta Zimmer

March 26, 2024

Shanta Zimmer

March 26, 2024

Shanta Zimmer

March 26, 2024

Shanta Zimmer

March 26, 2024

Shanta Zimmer

March 26, 2024

Shanta Zimmer

March 26, 2024

Shanta Zimmer

March 26, 2024

Single Memorial Tree

Sophia R Batchelor

Planted Trees

Sophie Batchelor

March 26, 2024

I will always be grateful to John for temporarily taking over my duties as nanny to Mateo and Diego in 2014 when I experienced a significant accident that prevented me from working for several months. He saved my job and allowed me to spend several more years working for a family that I loved.

Jean (Jairam) Ramson

March 25, 2024

As an in-law I will always remember John as being a very soft spoken, and humble individual. Never argumentative and carried a soft smile. Short conversations. I found him to be more of a listener. May your soul find eternal rest.

Jean Jairam Ramson

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Sign John Zimmer's Guest Book

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September 18, 2024

Sonia C. Flores planted trees.

June 7, 2024

Aerial Jones posted to the memorial.

April 16, 2024

KPCLA Anita Grier Court 397 planted trees.