Gary E. Zinman's Obituary
It is with a heavy heart that we announce Gary E. Zinman, 80, peacefully passed away on March 31st, 2017. He is survived by his loving wife, Stephanie, and his beloved children, Michelle, Tucson and Nicole, Los Angeles.
Gary was born in the small town of Butler, PA where he and his family operated a number of retail clothing stores including the iconic, Jay Shoppe. He was an active member in the Butler community and some highlights include: President of the Businessmen’s Bureau; the Musical Theatre Guild, where he was instrumental in securing land for their permanent building; numerous offices within the Chamber of Commerce; Treasurer and Board Member of B’nai Abraham and member of B’nai B’rith. He was also active in supporting the annual Christmas Day parade and light show. And one dear to his heart, he was a very proud member of the Butler Lions Club.
Upon retirement, which he referred to as his second career, Gary and his wife moved to Tucson, AZ. Each and every day he called Tucson paradise. He took advantage of his surroundings and could often be found out and about enjoying the arts, playing gin with his friends from the Romeos or simply appreciating the scenery.
Gary was a graduate of Penn State University and a proud member of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity. He remained an ardent supporter of Penn State sports, especially football, throughout his life and was an active member of his fraternity and PSU alumni groups.
His love of sports carried over to his hometown teams as well – especially the Pittsburgh Steelers. Gary and his family attended almost every home game and were season ticket holders for well over 40 years.
In addition to sports, Gary was a lover of many types of music and theater and he made certain several trips to concerts, musicals and Broadway shows were on his annual to do list.
Another item Gary checked off his annual to do list was to travel to destinations near and far including trips to Africa, Bali, China, Russia and throughout the US. Gary loved to relay his far flung travel adventures and proudly displayed his photos and videos. He was a lover of the art of storytelling and each adventure made his stories richer.
But above all Gary was a wonderful husband, father, son and friend. To him once a friend, always a friend. He was a person of strong convictions and passion for those he loved. He was a compassionate man with a big and kind heart. A true Mensch.
He will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved him and those who he held close in his heart.
In accordance with his wishes, please send any donations to one of the charities he was an ardent supporter of: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Doctors Without Borders, The Humane Society of Tucson or Southern Poverty Law Center.
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