was born on August 3, 1932 to Melvin and Nola (Day) Sylvester in Tonasket, Washington. She passed away on Sunday, November 3, 2013 at her home in Renton.

Mary Lou attended TaHoMa High School in Maple Valley where she met the love of her life, LeRoy ‘Hap’ Zimmerman. They were married on Nov. 23, 1949. They had five children: Betty Lou, Jerri Lee, Terry Brian, Larry Eugene and Kevin Roy. She has a sister, Claudette Pulley and two brothers, Clyde Sylvester and Bill Burns. She loved and lived life to the fullest, her home and gardens, her kids and grandkids, and great grandkids. They all brought her much joy and love. She was extremely proud of each and every one of them.

She had a long career at the Boeing Company, retiring in 1991. She was Hap’s partner in so many things. She worked along side him at the Honeydew Feed Store and Sharp Shop, they rode motorcycles together, they dipped smelt together, salmon fished, cut wood together, plucked chickens, camped with their kids, hunted rabbits, deer and elk, picked blue berries and watched the geese fly by. Took road trips in search of fruit and vegetables for her to can. She was her own woman. There wasn’t anything she couldn’t or wouldn’t do. Loving and strong willed. She lived a very full and rich life, squeezing the best out of every moment she had.

She loved and cherished her friends dearly, Mark and Mary Hokenson, Mary Harwick, Louie Donckers and many others. These were lifelong friends, there for the shared good and bad times.

Hap passed away in August of 1995. Their children Betty Lou and Terry Brian also predeceased them. Her brother Clyde passed in December of 2009. She is survived by her daughter Jerri Wood and her husband, Don and their three children: Brianne Joy, Christopher Jon and Justin Andrew. Her son, Larry Zimmerman and his son Tyler Arthur and her youngest son, Kevin Zimmerman and his son Steven Miller, his wife Kelli and their three children: Shayla, Cameron and Peyton, his son Kyle LeRoy and his daughter Sarah Lou. Her sister, Claudette Pulley in Tennessee and her brother Bill Burns in Idaho. Not to mention her brother-in-law, Vern Zimmerman of Chehalis, Wash. Mary Lou had a host of cousins, nieces and nephews; many of them ‘bonus’ kids. She loved them all.

A memorial service will be held at Greenwood Memorial Funeral Home, on Friday, November 8 at 10 a.m. A private inurnment will follow at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, a donation to RiteCare of Washington would be greatly appreciated. They help kids learn to communicate and they helped Mary Lou’s grandchildren reach their goals. Their address is: 1207 North 152nd Street, Shoreline, Wash.; Attention Jackie Brown. Contributions to the American Cancer Society would help so many families like ours that have or will have cancer in their lives. Donating to your local Relay for Life organization is a great way to help those in your local community.

A very special thanks to her physicians, Dr. Mayeno and Dr. Block who worked tirelessly to give us our Mom for just that much longer.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of our family and her friends. On behalf of her kids and grandkids, thank you for being you at this time.