Obituary: Margery Gene Zimmerman

Margery Zimmerman passed away on July 22, 2023, in Burlington, WA. She was born on March 7, 1933 to Gene and Teresa (Wells) Dunlap, and grew up in La Conner, first at the Dunlap house on La Conner-Whitney Road, then on Kiket Island, at a beautiful residence and grounds known as "Flagstaff".

After graduating from La Conner High in 1951, she traveled the world with her father and sister Gerry. A highlight was attending the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. She attended the University of Hawaii, University of Washington, and Washington State University. She was a fiercely loyal Cougar at heart and never wavered from that throughout her life.

Marge married James Bailey in 1957, and they welcomed two daughters, Laura and Alison. After their divorce in 1971, she moved with her two daughters back to the Skagit Valley.

She began working at Dunlap Towing, the tugboat company her father founded. While there, she was reacquainted with her high school classmate, Jim Zimmerman. They married in 1973, blending their two families together. Marge retired in 1992 as secretary/treasurer after a long, enjoyable career.

In retirement, Marge and Jim lived a full life in the house they built in Bay View doing all the things they loved, including gardening and countless road trips across the country. Marge was an excellent cook and an accomplished baker and was known for her pies and cinnamon rolls that she would give to family and friends at Christmas. Above all, her favorite activity was watching sports, especially collegiate basketball and football, and had an amazing background knowledge of the players and coaches.

Marge was preceded in death by her husband Jim last December, just shy of their 50th anniversary together. She is survived by daughter Laura Powers (Cameron), daughter Alison Bailey, son Tom Zimmerman (Judy), daughter Annie Hernandez (Jerry) and daughter Nancy Alvord (Dave). She is also survived by her sister Gerry Henriot, and 11 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren. A private family memorial will be at a later date.

Donations in her memory can be sent to your favorite charity or WSU Foundation, P.O. Box 641925, Pullman, WA 99164. Go Cougs. Arrangements are under the care of Kern Funeral Home, Mount Vernon.