Funeral Mass was celebrated Sept. 9 at Annunciation Church, Monrovia, for Msgr. Roland George Zimmerman, who died Aug. 26 at the age of 88. He is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.
A native Californian and Angeleno, Msgr. Zimmerman was born at USC County Hospital in Los Angeles. On May 19, 1951, he was ordained to the priesthood by the late Cardinal James Francis McIntyre at St. Vibiana Cathedral in Los Angeles.
After being ordained, Msgr. Zimmerman was assigned to St. Anthony Church in Long Beach, where he served the parish and taught at the high school until 1954. From 1954 through 1960, he taught and coached baseball at St. Pius X School.
In 1960, Msgr. Zimmerman became one of the first diocesan priests to teach at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo. From 1963 to 1969 he served at St. Bernard High School in Playa Del Rey. Following his tenure at St. Bernard’s he served as principal of St. Genevieve High School in Panorama City for two years, before being appointed as principal of Bishop Amat High School in La Puente in 1971.
In 1973, Msgr. Zimmerman became pastor of Annunciation Church, where he ministered until his retirement in 1997.
He remained an avid life-long fan of the student sports teams at both Annunciation and Bishop Amat, and often enjoyed spending time on both campuses, visiting with students and teachers and watching games. He was a regular fixture on the sidelines during games at Bishop Amat.
Condolences may be addressed to: Mrs. Nancy Zimmerman, 7 Coral Tree Lane, Rolling Hills, CA 90274. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made either to Nazareth House, or to a favorite charity of your choice.
