Darrell Lee Zimmerman, 42, of Washington, KS, passed away due to complications with ALS on May 31, 2022, at his home in Washington.
Visitation will be Thursday, June 2, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Ward Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, June 3, at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Washington. Father Joseph Kieffer and Pastor Jill Duis will officiate.
The pallbearers will be Tyler Horvath, Michael Walkup, Lee Bosnick, Ryan Miller, Jason Marschman, Trevor Applebee, Everett Honts and Ryan Kueker.
Burial will be in the Washington City Cemetery.
Darrell was born May 31, 1980, at Belleville, KS, to Fred and Judy (Prieb) Zimmerman.
In 1998, he graduated from Concordia High School. In high school he lettered and was All League in four different sports during his career. He was also an All-State football player and won a state championship in his only year of wrestling. In the 8th grade he went deer hunting with his dad and harvested a Boone and Crockett buck. After high school, he went on to achieve an associate degree in Network Engineering from Denver Technical College. He worked as a software and network engineer for a few companies for 20 years. He ended his work life in 2019 with Lingo Communications when ALS took away his ability to type.
Darrell struggled in his 20’s and early 30’s with alcohol and depression. On February 23, 2011, he was reborn with the help of God and some simple steps. He failed in two marriages before it all came together when he met Ha in Vietnam and they were married in March of 2016. Ha and Darrell made the move home to Kansas from Denver in July of 2016. He loved to help on the farm and spent his free time learning about farming. Ask Ric about the joy on Darrell’s face when he drove his tractor for the first time on that cold morning or when Levi carried his first empty bucket to help feed. His favorite joy was spending everyday with Ha and watching her grow into the mother and wife she is. Darrell’s life after he was reborn might have been short, but his heart was full. Remember the good times and the bad you had with him. “Cling to the thought that, in God’s hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have — the key to life and happiness for others. With it you can avert death and misery for them.”
He was preceded in death by his father, Fred Zimmerman.
Survivors include wife, Ha Zimmerman; children, Levi and Lily Zimmerman, Washington, and Tristan Zimmerman, Spanish Fort, AL; mother, Judy (Richard Krueger) Hill, Morrowville; brothers, Jeff Zimmerman, Mulvane, KS, and Doug Zimmerman, Manhattan, KS; nieces, Cora and Ruby Zimmerman; and nephews, Eyann and Cole Zimmerman.
A memorial fund has been established to an educational fund for Darrell & Ha’s children, ALS Association or Meadowlark Hospice. Contributions may be sent in care of Ward Funeral Home.
