Carnegie Mellon University

David Zimmer at the beach

March 01, 2018

Volunteer of the Week - David Zimmer

By Diane Berman

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world,” says Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Both the professional career and the Osher service of our featured volunteer, David Zimmer, reflect the life of someone who has carried forth that message.

David retired from a career in nursing, trained in trauma and emergency response, and taught advanced life support classes during his service at three Pittsburgh hospitals. He retired from Hillman Cancer Institute. He also was an instructor in CPR for the American Heart Association for 20 years. When he retired from nursing, he took an AARP SmartDriving course, and was then recruited to teach for AARP.

Opting to forgo the Osher waiting list for the volunteer service route as a prospective member, David began working in the Osher office at the front desk and became a member in 2014. He was “volunteered” to serve on the Curriculum Committee, where he continues to hold a position. He says that he “most enjoys interacting with interesting study leaders” in that role. When Osher needed a study leader to teach the AARP Safe Driving Courses (8-hour course and 4-hour renewal), David volunteered to do so.  David says that he loves teaching and feels that volunteering at Osher is “the lifeline of this organization.”

In addition to Osher, David is a member of Lions Club International, (motto: “We Serve”), an international service organization in which he is a Board member and a member of District Council.

David and his wife Jan, also a retired nurse, have two children and four grandchildren. While he has enjoyed travel in retirement, his favorite pastime is “babysitting grandchildren.”