I met Charlie Zimmer through my predecessor and dear friend in heaven — Gail Rink, longtime executive director at Hospice of Santa Barbara. Charlie and Gail would meet, usually for lunch, at his corner booth at the Crocodile Restaurant from about 2001 until 2008 during her tenure. You know the place — at the Lemon Tree Inn at Alamar and State Street. He and Gail met regularly at the corner booth, far end of the restaurant, to the left, past the bar. Charlie hired Gail decades before to be his frontline social worker when he was the Hospice executive director. It was a mentorship and a deep friendship they shared.
Through the years, Charlie met with each executive director and then later with me, starting nine years ago. It was always at the same corner booth at the Crocodile. Charlie was the longest-serving executive director at Hospice of S.B. from the beginning of 1979 to the end of 1990. He established key Hospice programs serving our community that continue to thrive today.
I remember thinking when I first met Charlie, and on every occasion since, that he made me feel as if I were the only person in the room. I’m sure others would say the same. He would ask me, “How are you doing, my lad?” in his gentle way and with that twinkle in his eye. All his focus would be on me and what I was saying.