Aracelia E. "Sally" Zimmerman

Aracelia "Sally" E. Anzaldúa-Zimmerman entered into eternal rest on Sunday November 9, 2025, at Peace Health Hospice in Bellingham, WA. Born in Brownsville, TX on December 4, 1954, she spent the last nine years of her life on Lopez Island, WA. She is survived by her mother Lucinda Anzaldúa, her husband Allan Zimmerman, her three children Martin, Saraliza, and Justin, and her two grandchildren Jannelle and Juliet.

Sally loved the many beautiful things and great adventures life has to offer if one is lucky enough to find them. A buttery flour tortilla, a warm pair of slippers, a breathtaking sunset. She fished in Canada, shot pistols at the Olympic training center in Colorado, earned an MBA, and toured Europe as part of the Plano Civic Chorus. She reveled in the luxuries of life, both small and large; but her greatest loves were her family, her community, and music.

Sally was a devoted wife, a loving mother, and a doting grandmother, who worked to ensure that her family thrived. Whether that was working as a social worker to put food on the table, spending hours at ballet lessons and baseball games, or carefully matching seams because she wanted her family to have well-made clothes that would last.

Her love and generosity carried over beyond her family to those in her community. She was a generous neighbor always ready with a plate of smoked ribs and potato salad for church potlucks and community gatherings. Her generosity is most evident in how she shared a piece of her heart and soul with her community: music.

Throughout her life, music was a steady constant. Learning guitar and flute as a child, she picked up other instruments like piano and cello along the way. Her greatest instrument, however, was her voice which she used in service of her church as the choir director and music minister. Sally taught the children's choir of the Lopez Island community and shared one of her greatest loves by devoting her time to prepare, practice, and lead the musical liturgy for mass every week. She believed that if one was given a gift, it is best shared with those around you. By sharing that gift, Sally kindled hearts with a love of music and helped grow the Catholic community on Lopez Island.

No memorial or commemoration can capture all that Sally was. She shone with a vivacious energy that rivaled the sun in its brilliance. Her generosity was warm, her laughter bright, and her love relentless. Though her star has moved on to the heavens, Sally will continue to shine in our hearts and memories.

A Rosary is being planned for Sally at Center Church on Lopez Island at 12:00 on Monday, Nov 17th with a Funeral Mass to follow.

You're welcome to send flowers in honor of Sally, or in keeping with her love of sharing gifts please make a donation to a charitable cause in honor of her. To share memories, please bookmark this link: www.evanschapel.com/obituary/aracelia-sally-zimmerman