Marie Agnes Zimmer of Spokane died September 22, 2020 after a short illness.

Marie was born on August 19, 1925 to Robert Patrick and Mary Anne Lyons and grew up in the Garland neighborhood. She attended St. Francis of Assisi Grade School and graduated from Holy Names Academy in 1943. Marie worked in Federal offices in Spokane during WWII where she made many life-long friends. In 1950 she married Army Capt. John Hughes and soon started a family, daughter Maggie and son Kevin.  The Hughes family lived in Holden, WA and then Fort Lewis when John resumed Army service during the Korean War.

When John passed away in 1955 Marie returned to work in Spokane. In 1956 she married George Zimmer, a widower with three children and moved to a dairy farm near Newport, WA.

The blended family grew to nine children, and Marie took on the challenges of a farmer's wife with characteristic resolve. A devout Catholic, Marie's faith helped carry her through the tragedy of George's death in a logging accident in 1969. Marie finished raising the family on her own, seldom missing an athletic event, band concert, or parent-teacher conference. She kept active in the St. Anthony altar society and enjoyed golf and bowling. With the house finally getting low on children she went to work in the offices of the Pend Oreille County Court. In 1985 Marie moved back to Spokane, staying active in church affairs at St. Francis and enjoying travel in the U.S. and abroad with Corbin Tours and her friend Helen Casper. She made multiple visits to her parent's homeland of Ireland and was proud of her Irish heritage.

She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings; by husband John Hughes (1955), husband George Zimmer (1969), and son Kevin Hughes (2018). She is survived by children Theresa (Rocky) Wright, Margaret (Stan) Smith, Joan Poirier, Gregory (Nova) Zimmer, James (Kerry) Zimmer, Joseph Zimmer, Mary (Raynier) van Egmond, Paul (Amy) Zimmer; 23 grandchildren plus numerous great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Due to the coronavirus a Memorial Mass and celebration of life reception is being planned for next summer by the family. Committal Service will be held October 10 at Holy Cross Cemetery, 7200 N. Wall St., Spokane, WA.

Special thanks to the staff of Fairwinds-Spokane and to Hospice of Spokane. Donations can be made in Marie's name to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 1104 W Heroy Ave., Spokane, WA 99205 or Poor Clare's Monastery, 4419 N. Hawthorne St. Spokane, WA 99205.  Please visit Marie's online memorial page at www.holycrossofspokane.org to leave a message of condolence.