Steve George Zimo

Steve Zimo passed away peacefully in his bed on June 2. Born in Chicago on October 2, 1949, Steve grew up in the Windy City with his mother Judith and brother John. Academically gifted, after he graduated from Lane Tech High School, he attended the University of Chicago, where he enrolled in an accelerated MBA program and graduated with a degree in accounting. It was at the University of Chicago that he met Deborah Hewitt. They wed in 1973 and remained happily married for the rest of his life.

Steve worked as an accountant and controller at several firms in Chicago while Deborah completed her education. In the 1990s, Steve decided to retire early and focus on raising his two children, Ann and Matthew, as a stay-at-home dad following the family’s move to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Steve loved to travel, and he visited many countries and all 50 states in the US. One of his earliest adventures involved traveling to Czechoslovakia in order to meet and connect with his extended family. There he met his cousin Anna Gresko and her husband Dusan with whom he immediately formed a close and enduring relationship. Another highlight came when he and Deborah decided to do something extraordinary and took a year off to live in France with their young children.

Steve also had a good sense of humor. At his nephew Fred Zimo’s wedding, when the guests were invited to sing a song about love, he stood up and proudly sang the Oscar Meyer Wiener song to enormous laughter. He would flutter his eyelids when he knew he told a corny joke. He was a history buff and could always be found with some weighty tome about a historical figure or war. He liked to end dinner with some wine and French cheese.

Steve discovered an interest in running in middle age. He started running 5K races organized by the Knoxville Track Club before running longer distances. He ran the first of 19 marathons in Chicago in 1999. He would listen to trance and Eurodance music while running and liked to share his favorite tracks with others. He flabbergasted his teenage children when he declared one evening, “You know what I would like to do someday? I’d like to go to a rave.” He was probably one of the first Americans to listen to Darude’s classic “Sandstorm.”

Steve was preceded in death by his brother John in 2016. He is survived by his wife Deborah, daughter Ann (Alex), son Matthew (Judit), and grandson Tristan, his nephews John and Fred Zimo and niece Mary Giovinco. He was a good man and will be missed.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you donate to a charity of your choice. Steve was supporter of the Alzheimer’s Association and Planned Parenthood.

Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to serve the Zimo family.