Aggie passed away peaceably at home on Thursday March 7, 2019. She was born Dec. 2 1929 in Lexington TN. to Jimmie Bowman and Marlett Douglas. She was a gifted singer and as a youngster sang at WW2 bond rallies. She also was the vocalist with a local band but was too young to join them on their road tour. Aggie married a Marine Corps pilot Richard Vottero and traveled with him to his state-side postings until his final one in Hawaii where they stayed three years before returning to the mainland to settle near a military facility [ Ault Field in Oak Harbor ]. They settled on Bay View. Richard passed away in the fall of 1971 .Aggie met Bob when he knocked on her door one day, introduced himself and said " I'm a recent widower and I'm having a rough day " She replied " I am too - come on in " and that was the beginning of a year and a half courtship .After Bob left that day she called neighbors to check him out and told by one that " nice Mr. Zimmerman was a very religious man ". Apparently anyone going to church every week was considered very religious by some folks. Aggie tired of waiting for Bob to propose so one evening while playing cards with two of his boys she said " This is leap year and I'm asking you to marry me " Bob wrote her a short on his scratch pad which she kept in her wallet all her life. It said " No - but thanks for asking " They were married a month later. Their blended family would consist of Bob, 7 children, one dog and Aggie with no children and one dog. Many would consider his 7 kids as baggage but to Aggie they were a blessing. She was unable to have children and wanted a family - not to be their mother but to be their friend and to help Bob raise them to be the great men and women they are today. Bob retired in 1984 and they enjoyed motor homing all over the U.S. with the southwest getting top billing .Aggie was a longtime member of St. Charles Church. She was a member of the choir, the RCIA team, assisted with funeral music, and worked with Fr. Dalton on adult outreach programs. She was a seamstress who could create or repair any and all that came under the needle .Her embroidery pieces grace her walls and those of family members. Unfortunately those talents were curtailed when she developed macular degeneration. However ,her limited vision did not keep her and Bob from visits to the casino. Aggie was a nature lover. She enjoyed counting seals sunning themselves on channel banks at low tide with her spotting scope but most of all the goldfinch and flickers that shared our deck. One year ago she suffered two heart attacks and was placed on Hospice Care with the family goal of keeping her at home as long as possible. With the help of the Hospice team, the Bay View Fire Dept. and a dear family friend we reached our goal .Aggie died peacefully in bed in her living room facing the bay and birds .Aggie was preceded in death by son Robert D. ,her parents, brother Jack ,sister Dorothy and brother-in-law Joe. She is survived by her family, husband Bob ,children Michael [Hope], Patricia [Roger],Mary, Greg, Terry[Debi], Stephen, 14 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, sisters Marlyn [Jeep], Teresa [George] , Richard's children Vicki and Bruce and many nieces and nephews. Donations in memory of Aggie can be made to Hospice of the Northwest, Bay View Fire Dept., or Washington Talking Book & Braille Library.
A funeral service will be held at St. Charles Catholic Church, Burlington, WA on Friday, March 15, 2019 at 10:30am. A graveside service will be held at Bayview Cemetery, Bayview, WA on Friday, March 15, 2019 at 11:30am.
Arrangements are under the care of Hawthorne Funeral Home, Mount Vernon, WA.