By Ginger Lagemann
Sometimes the smallest, most simple joys for one person are able to warm the hearts of many. Columbine West, a small neighborhood of about 1600 homes in Littleton, is home to a wonderful couple who have done just that. Dale and Cynthia Zimmerman’s story has changed the very fabric of the neighborhood and brought hundreds of people together to show just how amazing and loving the human spirit can be.
A photo of Dale in his later years, about to head out on one of his walks.
Cynthia (left) and Dale as newlyweds.
The Zimmermans met 33 years ago in Albuquerque, and have been married for 30 years. Dale had his degree in Business Management and worked as a manager for several different companies throughout his career. Cynthia has spent most of her life dedicated to her art and jewelry making, along with owning several storefronts that Dale also helped manage. In 2009, they made the decision to move to Littleton for a new life where the youngest of their three children could be safe from the gang violence that had been popping up in Albuquerque at the time. Upon moving to Littleton, Dale got a job working as a manager for a local thrift shop. His kindness and love for others was a bright beacon of light at his job and he truly enjoyed helping people. He was always advocating for his employees, and at times even stuck his neck out for them when he felt that an injustice had occurred. It was Dale’s unwillingness to take “no” for an answer when someone was being treated wrongly that led to his forced retirement in 2013.
Dale Zimmerman enjoyed being outside.
After his retirement, Dale had a hard time finding another job. Luckily, his wife was by his side and they had enough to get by. He had become depressed from lack of work and suggested that he “go take a walk” for health and peace of mind. At first, Dale fought her on it. He hated going walking. The two worked together and found him a good pair of shoes. Suddenly everything changed, and the obsession with walking had begun.
Dale would walk around the neighborhood, 2 miles at a time, going out and coming home several times a day. On some days, he logged up to 10 miles on his walks. He never crossed any large streets or traffic lights- so his route was only within the boundaries of the small subdivision block between Wadsworth Blvd. and S. Pierce St. He loved being out in the Colorado weather, smiling and waving at the residents as he passed by. Cynthia got him a smartphone and added a free app called Life360 that uses a GPS signal to track where he was so she could make sure he was ok. One day, she was at the grocery store and checked her phone to see if Dale was at home because it had snowed recently. She noticed that his tracker was showing him pretty far north on Wadsworth, almost to the mall several miles away. He would have had to cross several large streets to get to that location, and Cynthia assumed that the phone must have been dropped, and perhaps someone else had picked it up. Soon realizing that he was not at home, she went to the last tracked location and found him walking along the road, happily unaware of his predicament. When Cynthia pulled up next to him, she said “I think you’re lost!” His reply: “I think I am!”
Always smiling, Dale enjoyed laughing and being together with his family.
Dale was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s after a lot of persistence by Cynthia to find him the right doctor who would listen to their concerns. She also got him a Life Station pendant with a button that he could push for help if he got lost or was home alone. Eventually, he didn’t understand that he needed to push the button for help and didn’t know how to make calls or answer his phone. His wife began to stay home while he was out walking so that she could rescue him at a moment’s notice. An amazing caregiver, she was dedicated to helping him continue to do what he loved. She even put a sign out in their yard with a special symbol on it after Dale became disoriented while trying to find their home one day. Since she would sign all of their holiday, birthday, and anniversary cards with an initial inside of a heart, it was an easily recognizable symbol. She spray-painted a pink heart with a “D” in the center on a sign and put it in the yard. They painted the mailbox the same color. Dale enjoyed the pink -Cynthia’s favorite color- claiming that “pink isn’t a color, it’s an attitude.” Clearly, it was the perfect color choice to help Dale find his way home. One day, Dale was asked about the sign out in their yard. He smiled and said, “That’s an anniversary gift from my wife!”
She researched to find resources to help keep Dale safe while he was out. Unfortunately, she also learned that JeffCom (the local emergency dispatch for Fire, Police, and Medical) does not have a database for individuals with disabilities and mental health disorders. All they can do is add a note on the address in case emergency services are called to the home. After Dale had the police called on him for getting confused while out on a walk, Cynthia began to worry that his fading cognitive abilities may result in him unwittingly getting himself into more trouble. That’s when she reached out to the Columbine West neighborhood on Nextdoor.com – a website that connects people together within their neighborhoods and the surrounding locale. She posted, “My husband has Alzheimer’s and he walks the neighborhood daily […] My neighbor recently told me that she saw him going up a few different driveways. I think he was having trouble remembering which is ours. […] Please be aware that he is kind and gentle and if he accidentally comes up your driveway, he means no harm. If he appears completely disoriented, please call me [she included her number]. Thank you everyone for your understanding.”
Soon, the whole neighborhood was talking about this sweet little old man who loved taking walks. Residents began texting Cynthia to tell her that they had seen Dale out walking and gave her updates. It truly takes a village, and this one had rallied around the Zimmermans to help. Dina Brewer said that she and her two-year-old grandson saw Dale walk by almost daily. Her grandson would hear his shuffling feet and say “Dale comin’!”, and would run out to meet him at the end of the driveway. The little boy was shy when Dale approached but finally would say “bye!” on his way back up to the house. Dale always turned around and smiled.
Eventually, the family noticed that Dale had been losing a lot of weight. Several trips to the doctor revealed a few issues, but nothing that triggered any alarms. They assumed that the weight loss was a result of all the walking and part of the normal progression of Alzheimer’s Disease. It wasn’t until he fell and sprained his back in September that they realized something wasn’t right. He eventually started having trouble breathing and was admitted to the hospital on October 2nd. The doctor who was assigned to him decided to run some more tests, and it was sadly found that Dale’s body had been riddled with cancer that had gone undetected for many months. After several weeks in the hospital and one day under hospice care, Dale passed away quietly and comfortably at home on October 16, 2020, surrounded by his loving family. He was 71.
Dale Zimmerman was the kind of gentle-hearted person who would find a spider in the house, put it in a glass, and gingerly release it back outside. He was a loving grandfather, and a talented gardener and carpenter who loved building things and working with his hands. He was an avid fisherman and played the piano in his younger years. He loved fishing so much that he could be seen casting a line and reeling it in while he slept, physically making the movements as he lived his life in dreams. His wife remembers the kind, honest man who “didn’t have a mean bone in his body”. Always thinking of others, he would do what he could to make sure things turned out right for everyone else. He will be sorely missed by so many in a neighborhood that has come together to help him continue to do what he loved down to his last days on earth.
Mr. Zimmerman poses for a photo several years ago.
To honor Dale’s memory, Cynthia wanted to share some resources so that others might also benefit. One of the greatest resources in the Denver area that she has found is called the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG). This organization seeks to help older adults 60+, their families, and caregivers remain independent in the community. They offer information and referral services, case management, transportation, home-delivered meals, senior centers, legal services, and more through a network of funded providers. They also help caregivers get access to long-term Medicaid for family members with disabilities. Additionally, she found a company called Road iD. The company was founded by an athlete who was nearly hit by a large truck during a run but wasn’t carrying any ID. For a small fee, the company keeps important identification, health, and contact information in a database. A separately purchased dog tag, bracelet, or keychain has an ID number and an 800 number to call if the wearer is found hurt, lost, or unable to communicate. Only law enforcement, EMT’s, and physicians are able to access the database.
Cynthia wants to sincerely thank her neighborhood for the help, care, and support they’ve offered. She hopes that Dale’s story will help those who may be in a similar situation to find the help they need so that others may continue to do what they love, too. That’s the best way to honor the sweet man who, through the simple act of taking a walk, taught an entire neighborhood how to be kind, loving, and considerate of others.
Happy trails, Dale.