Joseph William Zimmerman, III

Joseph William Zimmerman III was born in Jacksonville, FL on March 24, 1971 and left us August 13, 2015. He was raised in Riverside and graduated from Lee High School in 1990. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from UNF in 2008. These are the facts. But Joey wasn’t about facts, he was about family, art, music, laughter and ultimately about love. So I am going to talk about the loves in his life. Joey was born to his mom and dad, Teresa and Joseph Zimmerman Jr. Teresa has said that it often felt as if she and Joey kind of grew up together as she was a young mother and Joseph Jr. was regularly away from home while deployed with the Navy. Teresa said that she always loved the way Joey could teach things to people in such a way as to help them understand easily. Joey’s dad, Joseph Zimmerman Jr, sadly, passed away in 2008, and his presence is still felt. Now I’m going to tell you about the next loves in his life; his sisters and his brother. Trevor always said that Joey was not only his big brother, but felt like a second dad since their father Joseph Jr. was often away serving our country. Joey often shared the things he loved with his siblings, Robyn, Betsy and Trevor. Whether it was old Scooby Doo cartoons, his quirky sense of humor or the goofy faces he could not resist making in every family photo, Joey shared who he was with them. Joey was honored to walk both Robyn and Betsy down the aisle to give them away on their respective wedding days and I’m sure he took the opportunity to give the grooms some idea of how much he cherished his sisters. Joey was pursuing a few of his other passions along the way: he painted, skateboarded, enjoyed time with his friends and played in a locally popular rock band called Common Thread. The band often played their brand of psychedelic rock at many local clubs and venues. Joey had a quick wit, a keen intelligence, a great sense of humor and he loved life. Now we come to his next love…the love of his life-Jenn. Joey and Jenn met in 1991, after a Common Thread concert and became instantly inseparable from that moment forward. It seemed effortless for them because they each fell in love with their best friend. It was with that same natural ease, they decided to go to their favorite place in the world (Key West), and marry. And they were happy. On July 2nd, 1999, they met the lady who would perform the ceremony at her house (a house that was decidedly not the “walled estate” she had described), and after seeing it, they promptly decided they wanted to do the ceremony at the beach. This “unique” woman (who was dressed somewhat like a beekeeper, pith helmet, flowered tunic and all) told Joey and Jenn that she needed to call the photographer. So she did, loudly yelling out, “Hey Freddie, let’s go!” The photographer came in and looked extraordinarily like the lead singer of Queen, Freddie Mercury. (I can imagine the looks that passed between Joey and Jenn and even perhaps the suppressed giggles at this eccentric pair). So, off to the beach they went; Joey, Jenn, the bee-keeper and Freddie Mercury. When they got to the beach, the ceremony itself was exactly what they wanted; simple, beautiful, sincerely heart-felt and witnessed only by Joey, Jenn and God. And they were happy. They lived joyfully together in their sweet little house, tucked quietly away in the forests of Middleburg. A house surrounded by trees and filled with paintings, books, guitars and love. They enjoyed being married and had so much fun! Both Joey and Jenn loved to race cars and Joey, who raced from 1995-2002, was always a contender. If he wasn’t racing, he was cheering on Jenn. Though he won only a few races, he loved them all (except the wrecks). And they were happy. They decided to grow their family, but had to patiently wait (well, not really that patiently), until October 29th of 2003, when Joey’s next love, Blaine, made the loving couple a family of three. Joey and Jenn were thrilled with their precious gift, so of course, he was worth the wait. They felt blessed. And they were happy. During the next few years Joey embraced the ultimate challenge; becoming a stay-at-home dad. He slipped naturally and straightforwardly into this daunting role. He blended his previous loves of Jenn, his family, art and music, with his new love, Blaine. He had always been immersed in his family but now he turned his focus toward raising Blaine. Blaine thrives! He is well-rounded, smart, caring and just fun to be around. This is due in a large part to Joey’s loving, encouraging nature. Joey became a nurturing father who introduced his son to painting, skateboarding, racing games (By the way, Blaine would not reveal who usually won the games) and finally, Joey passed on to Blaine his passion and talent for music. Those of you who have had the privilege of seeing Blaine on the drums realize that Joey was also a terrific teacher and bequeathed a remarkable legacy to his son. There was always some sort of project happening, repairing guitars, building skateboards, creating a music room or maybe just having plain old dad/son talks and enjoying quiet times just being together as a family. And they were happy. I asked Jenn to tell me some things about Joey that would help me better understand him, and her answer revealed everything to me. She told me that: he patiently put up with Jenn’s habit of rescuing any stray animal; didn’t mind a bit that Blaine didn’t love painting the way Joey did; was mindful that Jenn got the same amount of track time as Joey did when they were racing; instinctively knew when someone wanted or needed to talk or when they didn’t. All of the stories his family told me, showed me the “Common Thread” of Joey’s life. What made Joey happy was simple: ensuring that his loves were happy. And they were happy. Perhaps Joey may not have considered himself as a success. After all, he was not a millionaire, or a rock star, or a NASCAR driver, or a famous artist. But in the short time he had here on Earth, Joey had achieved success and I can prove it with the words attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: “He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who has enjoyed the trust of a good woman, the respect of intelligent men and the love of a child; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether through a piece of art, a perfect song, or a rescued soul; who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction.” Yes, Joey had indeed achieved success. We will all miss the many facets and moments and stories and laughter and love that encompass the life of Joey, but I think Jenn and Blaine and his family most of all, because they wish most of all for the one thing they can’t have; more time with him. It is a wish shared by all who knew him. And although it’s hard to believe in this heartbreaking moment, there will come a day when you think of Joey….and you will be happy.