Terrance ““Terry”” R. Zimmerlee

Terrance R. “Terry” Zimmerlee, age 80, of Beaver Dam, died on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at Charleston House Memory Care, surrounded by his family.

The memorial gathering will be at St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 from 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will follow at church on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. with Fr. Will Arnold officiating.

Terry was born the middle child, to Evelyn and Otto Zimmerlee in Medford, Wisconsin, on July 17, 1946.

The family later moved to West Allis, where Terry attended West Milwaukee High School and graduated in 1965. He earned an associate degree in Applied Science and Mechanical Technology from Milwaukee Technical College in 1968. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, with an emphasis in Business Administration, from Marquette University.

Terry began his career at Household Utilities in Kiel, Wisconsin. He later worked for F.C. Heiden, Inc., owned by Crafts, in Manitowoc. In 1979, he joined R.P. Honold in Sheboygan, where he worked until beginning his career with Surefire, Inc. in Horicon in June 1991. There, he worked as a commercial design engineer specializing in heating and ventilation until his retirement in December 2011.

Terry met the love of his life, Mary Anne Mlinaz, in Sheboygan. They were married on June 26, 1981, and moved to Beaver Dam in May 1992, where Terry continued working for Surefire.

Terry is survived by his wife, Mary Anne; his four children, Jeff (Kelle) of Manitowoc, Tamara (Nancy Laraia) Zimmerlee of Wauwatosa, Nicole (Tim) Draheim of Beaver Dam, and Michael (Leanne) of North Fond du Lac; six grandchildren, Allyson and Mallory Zimmerlee, Ryan and Nathan Draheim, and Evelyn and Scarlett Zimmerlee; sister, Judy Zimmerlee; other relatives and friends.

Terry enjoyed cooking, gardening, fishing, camping, and woodworking. He was a member of the Master Gardeners and the Beaver Dam Lions Club, where he coordinated the annual fruit sale for many years. As a boy, he was a Boy Scout and later served as treasurer for his son Michael’s Boy Scout troop in Beaver Dam.

Terry especially enjoyed woodworking projects. One of his most notable accomplishments was designing and building an octagonal gazebo in the family’s backyard with the help of family and friends.

The Zimmerlee family enjoyed traveling together, visiting 46 states as well as Canada and Mexico. Later, Terry and Mary Anne took several cruises, including trips to Alaska, the Caribbean, and Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. They also enjoyed a river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam, visiting several countries along the way. Their travels also took them to Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Jamaica, Ireland, and Iceland.

Terry was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Duane.

If desired, memorials may be made in Terrance R. Zimmerlee’s name to Alzheimer’s Association.