David McGilvary Zimmerman

1952 - 2022

David McGilvary Zimmerman, an authentic Renaissance man in his private and professional life, a most honorable man, a man who was excellent company whether discussing history and culture, the best steak tatare, or arcane technical matters over a glass of wine, died on January 14, 2022. After two years of enduring end-stage cancer, he was felled by a major stroke.
Born in Istanbul, Turkey where his father had a position with the fledgling Central Intelligence Agency, Dave was born into a unique environment where he was exposed to art, culture, religion and the fascinating diversity of humanity. Growing up, he lived in Ankara, Turkey; Tangier, Morocco; Tunis, Tunisia; and Lagos, Nigeria. Between overseas assignments, his family lived in Bethesda, Maryland.
At age 12, already possessing a high level of intellectual curiosity, he was sent to The Hill School, an all-boys boarding school in Pottstown, PA for six years. There he became a self-contained and independent soul. Graduating in 1970, Dave entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During many summers he was fortunate to work with experts on fingerprint identification, and with computers at the Center of Computer Sciences and Technology at the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, D.C.
After receiving a B.S. in Physics in 1974 from MIT - and completing the ultimate running goal, the Boston Marathon - Dave moved to San Diego to earn a M.S. in Neuroscience from UCSD. Needing a place to live, he rented a room in an old bungalow in La Jolla. By chance, it had a shed to house his rapidly expanding electronics collection, and by chance, it had a landlady named Jocelyn with whom he fell in love. The feeling was mutual. Halcyon days followed: indulging a love of fine dining and wine, frequenting used book and record stores and sales, and tent camping throughout the West from their 1973 super VW bug convertible, Bix. They married in San Francisco in May, 1979, settling in San Diego and ultimately, in the Mt. Helix community of La Mesa which they loved.
Lifelong lovers of books they built an impressive personal library, traveled, entertained well, and hosted the renowned Neighborhood/Friends Christmas party for 33 years – a point real estate agents sometimes used in their offerings. He was on the Boards of the Grossmont-Mt. Helix Improvement Association and The Valle De Oro Community Planning Group.
In 1977, Dave joined the founding technical staff of Photon Research Associates, later acquired by Raytheon Technologies within the aerospace and defense industry in 2004. His interest in neuroscience was eclipsed by his love of physics, computer science and engineering, and - except for a period of eight years as IT Director of the then Burnham Institute in La Jolla - he worked at PRA/RTX through his final days. He applied his skills and refined aesthetic sense to countless aircraft and space programs including fundamental contributions to the design and refinement of an entire new line of wide-area search sensors.
Widely admired and respected for his brilliant analyses, in later years he was frequently chosen to present and defend technical concepts to Senior Pentagon leadership. He loved his work, and his colleagues, here, and in LA and Texas where he often traveled.
Dave was a lover of nature. Lord Byron's …
"I love not man the less, but nature more…" says it all. He was quietly proud of being number 11 on the San Diego Chapter of the Sierra Club's list of finishers who climbed the 100 peaks of San Diego County. He served on the Board of the Torrey Pines Association. He had a keen appreciation for music, was a woodworker of talent, and his search and appreciation for the ultimate gastronomic experience extended from Pavillon Ledoyen in Paris to the best Philly Cheesesteak sandwich in S.D.
Besides being the quintessential problem solver, Dave is remembered for his fine sense of humor, for being a wise and contemplative man always available for sound, studied advice, for his kindness and honesty, and for his wonderful smile.
Above all, he is remembered for his devotion and love for his family, and is missed beyond measure by his wife and companion of 47 years, Jocelyn; his daughter Kimberly Cooper (Randall) of Amherst, NH; his son Bruce Mahr (Sonja) of Neosho, MO; his son Graham of La Mesa; four grandchildren Bruce (Bo), Grant, Zachary, and Caitlin; and his mother, Myra Jordan Zimmerman of La Mesa. Dave is also survived by the current adored cats –Tolliver and Shay. He was preceded in death by his father, David Martin Zimmerman, Jr. in 2014.
The family thanks those who have supported them with love and kind words these past few months. Everyone who remembers him is asked to celebrate Dave's life in their own way. Raising a glass of their favorite drink in his memory would be appropriate.