The Komets' long-time statistician passed away at 2:02 a.m. today at Parkview at age 83. Tentative services will be for Thursday and Friday or Friday and Saturday. Everybody please continue to pray for his family.
Calling Dick the statistician feels kind of lame because he was so much more than that to everyone in the hockey community. He started most of the hockey programs at McMillan before there was even a roof on the building. He was the patriarch of Fort Wayne's first family of hockey.
Last season the Zimmerman family celebrated working for 50 years with the Komets in some capacity. Zimmerman's wife Flossie started as the office manager and executive secretary in 1958 and worked for 30 years. Oldest son Bob was an International Hockey League linesman for 18 seasons, and worked four years as the Komets' public address announcer. Dick Jr. has been an off-ice official for 20 years, and his sister Jackie worked in the ticket office for about 10 years.
Flossie and Dick Sr., were married for 64 years, and until two weeks ago attended every home game, sitting in Section 206 in seats 20 and 21. They were inducted into the Komets Hall of Fame in 2004. There are 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
