Donna Mae Zimmerman

Donna Mae (nee Wooster) Zimmerman, of Chesterland, loved life and lived it well. She went home to our Lord on May 4, 2022, with family at her side. Forever young, Donna lived her 98-plus years with endless energy, selflessly devoted to faith, family and friends.

She was born Oct. 12, 1923, in Ann Arbor, Mich., to the late Leland and Julia Marie (nee Rider) Wooster. She graduated from Detroit Pershing High School and Wayne State University, earning a degree in home economics. Donna was a member of Sigma Iota Sorority, building lifelong friendships. She taught home economics, kindergarten and preschool.

Donna met her husband of 47 years, Regner Zimmerman, while washing dishes at a young adult church gathering. They wrote letters to each other throughout World War II that she later compiled into a book for her family. (The edited version!)

Together they built a life centered around church and their family. Some of the many activities they enjoyed included annual summer camping trip adventures when their children were young, woodworking and crafts, family vacations with grandchildren and hosting an annual New Year’s brunch.

Donna was committed to keeping both her soul and body in excellent condition. She was devoted to her churches wherever she called home, as well as to her daily devotions and praying faithfully for the many on her prayer list.

Donna exercised regularly and even enjoyed her first kayaking experience in her early 90s. She was careful about what she ate, but always left room for her dessert.

Donna and Regner loved to travel and after his passing she continued her journey, enjoying the experiences of world travels. She had the green thumb in our family, inherited from her dad. Her plants thrived and she had lovely flower gardens.

Hospitality, generosity and an appreciation for the formal were hallmarks of Donna’s personality. Cloth napkins, polished silver and supper in the dining room were just some of the ways she expressed her love for family and friends.

She was a skilled baker known for her buttermilk raisin bran muffins, molasses cookies and strawberry chiffon pie. Donna was referred to by many as the “Muffin Lady.”

She was a woman of many talents including sewing, knitting, and crocheting. She produced handmade afghans, prayer shawls, clothes for her children and grandchildren and Christmas stockings for her family. She began taking lessons and painting watercolors in her 70s, developing a marvelous skill appreciated by many.

Donna was social, fun to be around, and a member of the Shaker Heights Canoe Club and the College Club. She loved to dress well and was a fashion model in her 80s with the College Club. Donna enjoyed a good Bridge party and gathering with “The Greenbrier Girls!”

Donna lived and shared the divine attributes of truth, goodness and beauty in her thoughts, words and actions. She was our family matriarch filled with resilience and grace. The blessings of her life impacted many and will live on in her beloved family.

Left to cherish her legacy are her children, Kurt (Carol) Zimmerman, Joyce Peltz Allin and Karen (Matthew) Caputo; grandchildren, Heather, Nathan, Ray (Justine), Julia (Rick), Chris, Jill and Jeff (Tess); great-grandchildren, Raymond, Jackson, Alyssa, James, Elise, Emma, Anna, Matthew and Robert.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Regner, in 1995; brother and sister-in-law, Harle and Camille Wooster; sons-in-law, Raymond Peltz and Geoffrey Allin; and grandson-in-law, Joe Feudi.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. May 14, 2022, at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 11900 Chillicothe Road, Chesterland, where the family will receive guests beginning at 9:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributions in her name to St. Mark Lutheran Church or Hospice of Western Reserve, 17876 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland, OH 44110.

Walker Funeral Home & Crematory – Sylvania is handling arrangements. (walkerfuneralhomes.com)