Dist. 214 loses its longest-serving board member
Robert D. Zimmanck, whose 23 years on the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 board made him its longest-serving member ever and who was described as “passionate about education,” has died at the age of 84.
“You can’t imagine that the (Energizer) bunny ever stopped, but he has stopped,” his son, Dr. Robert Zimmanck, said Monday.
Not only did Zimmanck have the energy to attend all kinds of high school events, he also worked part time following his retirement from a full-time human resources job 18 years ago.
A longtime resident of Arlington Heights, he retired from the school board last spring.
William J. Dussling, a member of the high school board who served with Zimmanck, said they had planned to attend the annual Hersey Jazz Night Club concert Tuesday, as they have every year.
“I don’t think I ever called him to ask him to go some place — a football game or a play — that he didn’t leap at it unless he had something going on with his family,” said Dussling.
The two men became best friends after Dussling joined him on the school board, and they arranged their schedules so they and Dussling’s wife, Pat, could volunteer together at Frontier Days in Arlington Heights. Zimmanck served at the festival for 30 years, including this summer.
“When I came on the board, he’d been on about 10 years, and the first thing he said to me was, ‘Bill, would you like me to be your mentor?’ I thought, “Wow, here’s a man whose been president and vice president of the board, and he wants to help me.’”
His belief that anyone can learn and the importance of lifelong learning led Zimmanack to champion the district’s Community Education program, said Dussling. Zimmanck represented District 214 with the Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization board, where he served five years as president.
“Family always came first with Bob,” Dussling said. “As for the school board, his philosophy was always whatever is good for the students has to be good for the district.”
Zimmanck was an industrial engineer for many years, then worked in human resources for Teledyne Post for about 20 years.
Soon after retiring 18 years ago he became a part-time human resources director for Arlington Plating in Palatine and was still working a day or two a week, said his son.
But the father of five worked extra jobs most of his life, including teaching industrial engineering and working in sales at Sears at Golf Mill.
“They raised four girls and myself in a three-bedroom house,” said Robert Zimmanck. “He made sure we all got an education. Everybody finished college or more. We’re a doctor, two teachers and two nurses.”
Robert Zimmanck called his father a “pack rat,” saying he was touched to find he had kept a Christmas envelope from 1935 with a $1 silver certificate in it. The envelope was addressed to “Bobby” from “Dickey,” and Robert Zimmanck said he had never heard either his father or one of his father’s two younger brothers called those nicknames.
“He kept that all his life,” said Zimmanck. “He had a soft heart, but he didn’t vocalize it.”
Mae Zimmanck, Zimmanck’ wife of 46 years, preceded him in death. She used a wheelchair and pushed hard for the village to set up its commission for citizens with disabilities, said Village President Arlene Mulder.
Mulder said she would always see Zimmanck at events about town, especially at school activities.
“He was just a passionate man about education,” she said.
Erin Brooks, media relations specialist at Harper College, knew Zimmanck professionally from covering District 214 for eight years for the Daily Herald.
She admired his passion for life and “firm belief in and advocacy for public education.”
Visitation for Zimmanck will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22, at Glueckert Funeral Home, 1520 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights.
The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23, at The Orchard Evangelical Free Church, 1330 N. Douglas, Arlington Heights. Interment will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery in Arlington Heights.