ATHENS- Devon Alexander Zimmerman, 30, of Columbus, Ohio, left this world unexpectedly but peacefully, December 3, 2020, due to a previously undetected heart problem.

The beloved son of Sharon (Bennett) and David Zimmerman, he was welcomed with joy into this world April 3, 1990, in Columbus, Ohio. He was a graduate of Athens High School and attended Ohio University and Hocking College and graduated from Tribecca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy, Chicago Illinois, in 2013.

Devon's biggest joy in his life was his daughter, Mackenzie Jane, whom he cherished with the greatest love and adoration a father could have.  Mackenzie will always remember the warm cuddles and special love they shared throughout her nine years with her Daddy. He also shared an unbreakable, loving, precious bond with his sister Lauren.

He will always be remembered for his kind heart, his deep devotion to family, and his easy-going nature that made others feel accepted, no matter what. He was that rare person who saw the very best in people. His cousins remember his infectious laugh that made you feel so good when you told him a story, as if you were the funniest person ever. Anyone who knew him recounts what a devoted, patient, loving father he was.

As a small child, his family remembers a toddler who was curious and sweet. He had a hockey stick in his hand by the age of 4 and loved traveling, playing and sharing great times with his hockey family for 13 years, through high school graduation. In his high-school and college years, he could often be found on a mountain bike in Southeast Ohio and West Virginia.  His sports-loving blood ran scarlet and gray, and game day was a family affair he tried never to miss. He loved an adventure but also had a quiet nature, and thought deeply about important issues.

His co-workers tell what an absolute pleasure it was to work with Devon, saying you would not find a single person with a bad word to say. He had a great rapport with customers and quickly became expert and successful at a business he learned in part through his father.

Devon is preceded in death by his grandparents, Richard and Shirley Bennett, Sally and Ket Segraves;, his great grandparents Myrtle and Robert Thomas and Helen and Orville Hanson,  his aunt Karen Underwood, and his uncle Richard Bennett.

He will be forever remembered with love by those he left behind: His parents, his beautiful daughter Mackenzie; his beloved sister Lauren Simonson, (Brett) and their sons Grayson and Beckett; and a close-knit family with whom he spent so much time and built countless memories. These include his Aunt Uncle Debbie and Bill Burchfield, Aunt Cyndee Warren,  and cousins Drew, Abigail, Amber, Ashley, Matt, Brock and Trey; and his step-grandmother Marie Bennett.

Visiting hours will be held Tuesday, December 8, 6-8 p.m. at Jagers and Sons Funeral Home, Athens.  A private  funeral at Christ the King Catholic Church will take place in Athens on December 9, at 11 a.m. followed by a  private burial in Columbus, Ohio at Union Cemetery.   Covid-19 health protocols will be followed at all venues  for the safety of all. Please share a memory, a note of condolence or sign the online register at www.jagersfuneralhome.com.

The family is so grateful to the Athens County EMS for their tireless effort on Devon's behalf.

To honor his memory, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Joe Burrow Hunger Relief Fund, Athens County, Ohio.