Archives

The Rev. Dr. Mary Jo Zimmerli, 83, a retired Elder and district superintendent, wife of the Rev. Robert “Bob” Zimmerli, died Feb. 27, 2014, near her home in East Boothbay, Maine. A service to celebrate her life was held March 4 in Boothbay at the Congregational Church, officiated by the Rev. Sarah Foulger and Pastor Ami Sawtell.

Mary Jo Morris was born Feb. 2, 1931, in Cumberland, the daughter of the late Henry and Mary Barnet Morris. At a young age her family moved to Washington, DC, where she attended local schools and graduated from McKinley High School.

She graduated cum laude with a Bachelors of Science degree from Mt. Saint Mary’s College, then received her RN from Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, DC. She earned her Nurse Practitioner’s License in Family Planning from the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

She and the Rev. Robert Zimmerli married in 1953 just before he began an appointment to Edwards Chapel in Annapolis.

She attended Wesley Theological Seminary and was ordained an Elder in 1981, shortly after her husband became superintendent of the Baltimore East District. She completed her Doctorate of Ministry from Drew University in May 1990.

Zimmerli held various positions in both ministry and healthcare. She was the Chaplain Resident at Sibley Memorial Hospital in 1981, where she supervised seminary students and pastors as they ministered to hospital patients. She completed 10 Clinical Pastoral Education units from 1977 to 1982 and held them in various hospitals in and around Maryland and Washington, D.C. In 1982, she was appointed to Sudbrook UMC, and in 1990 became superintendent of the Baltimore North District. She retired in 1996.

She was the Baltimore-Washington Conference Youth Secretary for the United Methodist Women. With her husband, she put together and directed a mission tour of the southeastern United States for youth in the conference as well as directed the first work camp in Mexico with the conference youth. She was chaplain of the United Methodist Board of Child Care for many years. She held many memberships in a variety of faith based groups and was proud of the work they all accomplished.

After moving to Maine, she worked with St. Andrews hospital and their auxiliary and served as Chaplain of the Boothbay Region YMCA for years. She pastored local United Methodist churches at East Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport.

Another passion was education and she helped with various scholarship committees in the BWC and in Maine. She was chairperson of the BWC Scholarship Committee. In Maine, she sat on the YMCA scholarship committee as well as the Boothbay Region’s Garden Clubs scholarship committee.

She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Rev. Dr. Robert Zimmerli, of East Boothbay, Maine; son Wesley Zimmerli of Woodbine, Md. and daughter Laurie Zimmerli of Arnold.

Condolences may be sent to Rev. Bob Zimmerli, P.O. Box 238, East Boothbay, ME 04544-0238.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Boothbay Region Food Pantry, PO Box 63, East Boothbay, ME 04544 or Boothbay Region YMCA Scholarship, PO Box 500, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538. www.hallfuneralhomes.com.