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Lois Diane Jaskulek Zimmerman Zuspan age 69, died on October 1, 2005 in Birmingham,
Alabama after a long and courageous battle with lung cancer. Although born in Cleveland,
Ohio on November 1, 1935, she considered Atlanta, Georgia her home. Preceding her in death
were her grandparents: Hiram and Adele Guggenheim Jaskulek, Joseph Meyer and Biri Altman
Pollack; her parents: Helen Pollack and Daniel Guggenheim Jaskulek; and her sister, Mrs.
Ruth Marilyn Robinson. Lois graduated from Shaker Heights High School in 1953 in the top
five percent of her class. She was a cheerleader and on the varsity field hockey team.
Because of her size, just 4'10", she was nicknamed "mighty mouse".
Despite a near fatal automobile accident on the way to college that left her temporarily
comatose and partially paralyzed, she started Vassar College one month late. After two
years, she transferred to Flora Stone Mather College of Case Western University, where she
earned a B.S. in Elementary Education!
. She taught fourth grade at Lomond School in Shaker Heights Ohio. Then she moved to
England. Upon her return to the States, two years later, she settled in Atlanta where she
studied toward an M.B.A. at Brenau College, raised her children and involved herself in
community activities. She served as President and Board Chairman of the Atlanta Chapter of
Brandeis University National Women's Committee, Treasurer of the Atlanta Vassar Club,
and President and Board Chairman of the First Montessori School of Atlanta. She enjoyed
writing newspaper articles and handling publicity for these organizations. One of her
proudest achievements was the organization and execution within budget of a major
expansion project at First Montessori that involved converting two unused Quonset huts
into new classrooms. Vassar College cited her as one of the Outstanding Young Women of
America. In 1972, she obtained her Realtor's License and worked in that profession for
ten years, primarily with Harry!
Norman Realtors. Then, facing a sharply deteriorating mortgage market
, she decided to switch careers and enrolled in night classes in Hotel, Restaurant &
Travel Administration at Georgia State University. There she received the Dean's
Golden Key Award for her 4.0 GPA and earned remunerative awards in five of nine classes,
including the Hotel Marketing Scholarship achieving the highest grade in the class.
Afterward, she worked as a Travel Agent, Group Sales Representative for three Victoria
Station restaurants, and Director of Sales and Marketing for Davis Bros. Motor Lodges and
Cafeterias, a thirteen-property chain in Georgia and Florida. In 1988 she received a
Certified Tour Professional degree from the National Tour Foundation. In 1995, she moved
to Birmingham, AL with her second husband and worked as a Sales Representative for Fred
Hill, Inc. A skilled and creative teacher, Lois taught Jewish religious studies all her
life. She began while still in college, teaching Sunday School at Suburban Temple in
Beachwood, Ohio. Later she taught in A!
tlanta at The Temple, Temple Sinai, and Tichon and at Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham, AL.
She specialized in Jewish history, particularly American Jewish history. In her sixth
grade class at Temple Sinai, she initiated a "hands-on" history lesson with an
end-of-term field trip to Charleston, South Carolina where students participated in
rubbings of tombstones at the Coming Street Cemetery. This trip continues to this day. She
also created two educational board games, "The Jews of Spain" and "Jewish
Charlestonopoly". The Birmingham Jewish Federation and Temple Emanu-El selected her
to attend a two-week tour/study trip to Israel in 1996. Her hobbies included travel,
bridge, entertaining, genealogy, photography, ceramics, crossword puzzles and Jeopardy. An
avid reader, mostly of non-fiction, she was also a poet with several of her works
published in the Chattahoochee Review. Her energetic, and approachable personality,
especially in the face of the physical adversity in her lat!
ter years, was an inspiration to many. Her zest, intelligence, and cre
ativity were extraordinary and charismatic. She was a special person who related in an
open and caring way to all she met. So striking was the quality of her character that she
was viewed as a role model for the ideal aunt, wife, stepmother, teacher, sales
representative or friend. No one who ever got to know her throughout her life will easily
forget her. Surviving are her husband, William H. Zuspan; sons, David Michael Zimmerman
and Jay Coleman Zimmerman (Nyla), grandson Brandon Zimmerman of Hampton, Virginia; niece,
Marcie (Cliff) Goldstein and children Jonathan and Jenna, nephew, Rob (Tami) Robinson, of
Los Angeles, California. Extended family: Michael (Amy) Zuspan, Rebecca (Tim) Garwood and
children Leah and Stella, brother and sister-in-law, Richard (Sharon) Zuspan and sons
Timothy and Peter of Atlanta, brother-in-law Sidney Robinson of Los Angeles, sister-in-law
Carlene Kaniasty and children Ray Broscovak, Laurie Broscovak, Lois Knight, and Philip
Broscovak of Denver,!
Colorado. Cousins: Marc and Jeanne Price of Aurora, Ohio; Charles and Anna Price
(Pamela, Patrick & Michael); Gary Price (Brandon, Brenna, Brett) of Atlanta, Georgia;
Paula Price (Jordon & Sarah). In addition, Special Friends: Margie Holland, Nathalie
and Jim Diener, Sally Dubrow, Barry Oliver, Rabbi Jeffrey Lazar. A Memorial Service will
be in Birmingham at Temple Emanu-El Hess Chapel on October 6, 2005 at 9:30 a.m., Rabbi
Jonathan Miller and Cantor Jessica Roskin officiating. A graveside Funeral Service will be
that afternoon in Atlanta at 3:30 p.m. at the Arlington Memorial Park, 201 Mount Vernon
Road, in the Temple Sinai old section, Rabbi Philip Kranz officiating. Immediately after
the service, a Shiva meal will be served at the home of her long time close friend, Margie
Holland, 60 Bonnie Lane, Sandy Springs, GA. Rather than flowers, please send donations to
the Lung Cancer Alliance: 888 16th Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 2006; the City of
Hope National Cance!
r Center: Central Processing, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010; or
the Temple Emanu-El Education Fund: 2100 Highland Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35205.
Published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 10/3/2005.