By Don Fine
On October 30th, PVFF lost another of the club’s founding members, Harry Walker Zimmerman. Born August 23, 1923, in Frederick, Walker (his preferred name), graduated from Frederick High School in 1941 and served in the U.S. Army from 1943-1946. Walker, also a life member in the Frederick Isaac Walton League, was an avid hunter and fisherman who enjoyed many hours fishing at his second home on the Potomac River in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
I first met Walker Zimmerman at a PVFF club event some 20 plus years ago, not realizing that he was one of our club founding members. Only several years ago, I came to know Walker on a more personal basis. He had contacted me regarding his intent to donate many of his fly fishing rods, flies, and fly tying materials to PVFF as a fundraiser. It was then (while talking with him and going through his memorabilia), that I came to realize the close, life-long relationship between Walker and his good friend Lefty Kreh.
And Walker was there to honor his friend, when (posthumously) Lefty was inducted into the Frederick High School hall of fame. Two years ago our club honored Walker, Bob Abraham, and Jim Gilford for their life-long contributions and accomplishments to our club and to the sport of fly fishing at the PVFF 50th Anniversary. May we all remember the dedication of these distinguished founders of our club, the outdoor pass times which we love and the beauty of nature which they and we strive to conserve. (Image courtesy of Keeney & Basford P.A. Funeral Home – Frederick)