Jay Stuart Zimmerman

On Monday, August 6, 2018, Jay Zimmerman passed peacefully away. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis, and her two children, whom Jay helped raise since they were very young: daughter Serena Novosel (Matt), grandchildren Tessa, Paul, and Aidan; and son Jason Hashmi (Pia Hernandez), and grandchildren Marina and Sierra. From Jay's first marriage, he is survived by son Seth Zimmerman (Jill), grandchildren Max, Mia, Liza; and daughter Amanda Ferguson (Martin), and grandson Ted. He is also survived by his mother Roslyn, sisters Marla Zimmerman (Rebecca McNay), and Lori Zimmerman. He was preceded in death by his father, Arthur Zimmerman. Jay was born in the Bronx, New York on February 13, 1947. When Jay was a child, he moved with his family to Florida, and later earned a BA in Psychology from the University of Florida in 1968. Jay earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Georgia in 1972. He relocated to Muncie, Indiana, to accept a position at the Counseling Center at Ball State University, where he would work for over 40 years. It was during his second year at Ball State that he met Philadelphia native Phyllis Hashmi (LiVolsi), then an assistant professor in the History department. They were married May 17, 1975 in an outdoor ceremony surrounded by family and friends.

A true renaissance man, Jay was an award-winning poet and fine artist, photographer, writer, and activist for social justice. From his involvement in United Campuses Against Nuclear War in the 1970s, through his work in food insecurity this year, Jay tirelessly dedicated his life to thinking globally and acting locally. In addition to his career as a psychology professor, Jay shared his compassion, warmth, and professional wisdom in his private practice. For nearly 20 years Jay served as the Training Director at the Counseling Center, a position where he mentored hundreds of interns. Jay seemed to be even more busy in retirement, pouring himself into his passions of art and writing, and especially his work as a community leader, supporting the LGBTQ community and the field of mental health. Jay was passionate about working with people of color. His work in the nearby community of Whitely with Food Insecurity won the grand prize from Neighborhoods USA, and this work was one of his proudest achievements. Jay was a friend to anyone who met him - his magnetism was undeniable - and his social network was vast, extending past his circle of close friends to the communities surrounding his adopted hometown. This extended to the nurses, doctors, caretakers and patients at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, where he was a cancer patient for over 2 years. 

Since his passing, the outpouring of remembrances has commended Jay for his fearless creativity, calming presence, sense of humor, and, most of all, his dedication towards equality and inclusion. Keeping his trademark optimism in the face of adversity, Jay often liked to say, “Life ain’t like nothing I ever seen before.” And while it was cancer that ultimately took his life, it did nothing to diminish the memories in the hearts of so many that he touched. 

Jay did not wish to have a funeral. Instead, a Celebration of Life will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, September 8 at the Minnetrista Cultural Center in Muncie, Indiana.

“Embrace life, turn love into action, give back and find some joy every day.”

- Jay S. Zimmerman

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