Florence Zimmerman

Florence A. "Flossie" Zimmerman, 86, a resident of Fort Wayne and widow of Richard E. Zimmerman, passed peacefully on Tuesday, January 21, 2014, at home surrounded by her loving family. The youngest child of William and Edith (Drummond) Gresham, Flossie grew up on Elmwood Avenue in the Lakeside Park Neighborhood where she skated on frozen ponds and walked to school. As a young girl, she showed her strength of character when she rescued a toddler from the path of a runaway horse drawn milk wagon. Her family managed to provide her with dance lessons during the Depression and she won a WOWO talent contest at the age of five. At North Side High School, she was an accomplished baton twirler graduating with the class of 1945. That same year, against her mother's wishes, she gave up the pursuit of a career in dance to marry her high school sweetheart, Dick. Together they reared four children. For twenty-four years she managed the Komet Hockey Club's ticket office and took on management of the Coliseum Box Office from 1981-1985. After retiring from the Komets in 1990, she was inducted into the Komet Hockey Hall of Fame along with her husband Dick in 2004. Flossie worked at Glenbrook Mall's Ice Rink on the Terrace for eight years as a figure skating instructor, zamboni driver, and jack-of-all-trades. When the rink closed in 1997, she became customer service representative at Glenbrook, retiring in 2001. Impressive dancers, Dick and Flossie enjoyed the Lamplighter'sDance Club for many years. They were both golfers, Flossie serving as an officer in the FWWGA. In her 59th year, Flossie took up competitive figure skating and was joined through the years by all of her granddaughters. She retired from skating when she was 82 having received over a hundred and fifty gold medals. She leaves to cherish her memory her four sons sons, Robert J. (Dottie) Zimmerman of Clearwater, Fl., Richard B. (Nancy) Zimmerman, John D. (Margaret Timm) Zimmerman, and daughter Jacqueline D. Zimmerman, all of Fort Wayne; as well as 14 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren; and several beloved nieces. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Richard E. Zimmerman on February 1, 2010; four brothers Burt, Edward, Lial, and William Gresham; and a grandson Philip "PJ" Greenbank. Funeral services will be held at 11 a. m. on Saturday, January 25, 2014, in Zion Lutheran Church, 2313 S. Hanna Street, with Pastor Douglas Punke officiating. The family will receive friends at the church on Friday from 4 to 8 p. m., or one hour prior to the service Saturday morning. Entombment will be in the mausoleum at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Fort Wayne. For those who wish, memorials may be directed to Zion Lutheran Church, 2313 S. Hanna Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46803 Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco is in charge of the arrangements. ***************************************************