Zimmerly: 30 Years ‘Went By Fast’

By John Larson

SOCORRO – After serving 30 years as a city councilor, Chuck Zimmerly is stepping down.
Zimmerly, who had not filed for re-election in February, said at the meeting that he felt proud of serving the people of Socorro over the years, both as a councilor and as a county
commissioner.
“Thirty years is a long time but it sure went by fast,” Zimmerly said. “I’ve spent half of my life in the city council. Now there will be room for new blood.”
He said the city government has “some fantastic people.
“I’m leaving the city in tremendous hands.
Our infrastructure is solid. Out wastewater plant is the envy of the state, and our landfill is destined to be the envy of all the small towns in New Mexico,” Zimmerly said. “The city looks as good as it ever has.”
Zimmerly cited his tenure on the city’s budget committee, to which he was appointed in 1973.
“With Mable's (Gonzales) guidance, we’ve been very, very conservative on the budget,” he said. “We have become the envy of other towns fiscally. During these times, we’re not looking at layoffs, a problem others are having with budgeting problems.”
Zimmerly said he had barely returned from service in the Navy when he found himself following the family tradition of public service.
“When I first came back to Socorro, I wanted to get my degree in petroleum engineering at New Mexico Tech. I got off track because I started teaching part time,” Zimmerly said. “The powers that be at that time, [Mayor] Dr. Gene Colson, [Councilor] Tony Jaramillo and others, got me started in city politics.” I did get my BA in Petroleum Engineering.
Zimmerly was the youngest city councilor in the state at that time. He said he guessed politics was “just in my blood.”
His father, Richard Zimmerly; grandfather, Richard Zimmerly Sr.; and great-grandfather Samuel J. Zimmerly, were all involved in Socorro politics.
Samuel J. Zimmerly, an immigrant from Switzerland, was a corporal in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Craig when he was discharged from the service. In 1864 he settled down in Socorro and married Pablita Torres.
“We were the first ‘Stallion Siters’,” he said, referring to the term given to GIs from White Sands Missile Base who married into local families.
“My great grandfather Samuel was on the very first Socorro School Board,” Zimmerly said.
Besides being a city councilor, Chuck Zimmerly served two terms as a county commissioner in the mid-1980s.
Teaching math since 1973, he retired from the school system in 2008 as principal of Sarracino.
He continues to coach football and track at Socorro High School.
“Last football season … what a year,” Zimmerly said. “To see the kids overachieve the way they did was great.”
Zimmerly said his immediate plans are just to relax, be with family, and “pay more attention” to his health.”

Pictured: Longtime city councilor Chuck Zimmerly (right) serves cake to councilor Toby Jaramillo (left) and Mable Gonzales at the Socorro City Council meeting Monday night.

Photo by John Larson

Zimmerly: 30 Years ‘Went By Fast’