Dr. Allan D. Zimmerman

DR. ALLAN D. ZIMMERMAN Allan was a truly good and unique person. The many friends and family who loved him dearly were deeply saddened to watch Alzheimer’s disease slowly take him away in his later years and then to have him pass on Sunday, September 15, 2019. While the end was sad, his life was rich and full. Allan and his six siblings moved often during their childhood. Pennsylvania, Texas, Colorado, and finally Cathay, North Dakota were all home for a time. The many moves led to his deep appreciation for the decades he spent at one house “on old South Ninth Street” in Fargo, and at his beloved Big Sand lake cabin. Allan worked hard, but performed poorly, at a number of unusual jobs while growing up – cotton picking (yes Dad, we know ten pounds of cotton is a lot), working at a bed factory (apologies to anyone in Colorado who purchased one), newspaper delivery boy, farm laborer, farm equipment and crop destroyer, chimney sweep who was afraid of heights, Idaho lumberjack who struggled to fell trees, house painter with no experience, and even the restroom janitor for a restaurant with the self-proclaimed title of “Colonel of the Urinal.” Those experiences led to a lifetime of hilarious and self-deprecating stories that he loved to tell and we loved to hear. Those experiences also instilled in Allan the firm conviction that he had better collect several college degrees, and so he did with his last stop being the University of North Dakota where he received his Ph.D. in Psychology (an acronym for piled higher and deeper as he often noted). His time there led to his life-long devotion to the University and to being a true Sioux fan (we could not convince him that the name ever changed), and a good-natured disdain for what he called the Agricultural College (one last apology to our many NDSU friends). With Ph.D. in hand, Allan was hired by Concordia College where he greatly enjoyed being an absent-minded professor with a nearly photographic memory. He could see and recall almost everything he ever read. On the other hand, he would often drive to class on cold mornings and walk home on warm afternoons, only to declare that someone had (yet again) stolen the family car. His patient wife Carol would tell him to walk back to campus and get it. Allan also worked for many years as a clinical psychologist at MeritCare (now Sanford) where he was truly devoted to his patients’ care and well-being, and thoroughly enjoyed his many gifted colleagues. He had an instinct to help people that stayed with him always. He could be seen every weekday morning driving like a maniac down Eighth Street in Fargo to get to his first appointment, and most afternoons driving just as fast to get to one of his sons’ sporting events without ever missing a minute. He chastised the “old fossils” in front of him for “not finding the gas pedal” and thus delaying his last minute and high speed travels. What Allan loved most was his family. He was a devoted husband to Carol for 59 years, despite concerns in the 1950s that it just wouldn’t last. Family legend has it that he won her heart at Valley City State by playing Chester (he came before Festus) in the college production of Gunsmoke, or by being a clever and tireless thief of foodstuffs from the cafeteria with his buddy, Wayne Sedevic. Don’t worry Wayne, you’re well past the statute of limitations. Allan and Carol made for a great couple and even better parents. Their strengths, weaknesses, and personalities played magically together. Allan also reveled in being the world’s best dad (no, really, he was) to his sons Mark and Todd. He was a dad, friend, fan, coach, teacher, playmate, and more. While we greatly enjoyed Dad’s warmth, humor and support, his detailed instructions regarding grammar, sentence structure, and all sports (even those he knew nothing about) were, at times, less welcome. Dad’s attempt to demonstrate the proper technique for striking a blistering hockey slap shot – on the first try of his life, while wearing dress shoes, a suit and tie, and his traditional trench coat – proved more challenging than he had anticipated and more humorous than we could have hoped. Allan got to see his two grandchildren, Gage and Hannah, grow well into their teen years, and nothing made him happier. They loved him dearly and are grateful he never saw the need to offer painstaking critiques of their writing or athletic events. Grandkids always get off so easy. Allan loved to laugh, tell stories, poke fun at himself, and poke a little fun at other people if he knew they would enjoy it. He had a quick wit and dry sense of humor. People, in turn, loved to be around him. That led to many life-long friends who he and we will always treasure. Allan did not cry often, and he did not cry either well or gracefully. So, smile when you remember him. Tell a funny story or two. Think of him when you hug your kids, watch a beautiful sunset at the lakes, or fail spectacularly at a home project. As a cautionary note, steer clear of DIY electrical or plumbing work. He was a special man. We will always love and miss him. Allan is survived by his wife Carol; sons Mark (Mary) and Todd (Ricka and her daughter Liv); grandchildren Gage and Hannah; brothers Robert (Lois), William (Angela), and Dale (Linda); and sisters Ruth Stumpf (Ernie) and Lois Varvel (John deceased). Allan was predeceased by his sister Eunice, parents David and Catherine (Groves), and step-mother Helen (Witt). A light-hearted and grateful gathering of friends and family will be held at the Boulger Funeral Home in Fargo, North Dakota, on Saturday, October 5, 2019, starting at 1:30 p.m., with a funeral service to follow at 2:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions to the Alzheimer’s Association or one of the many local charities that support people in need would be welcomed.