Guy Kenneth Alan Zimmerli

Guy was born in Harpenden in 1942, to a French father, Frederic, and Scottish mother, Betty, younger brother to Valerie. Not long after he was born, the family moved to Notting Hill, where he spent his formative years playing on the bomb sites and getting into mischief.
He was dispatched to boarding school aged 9. Firstly, to Seaford Prep in Surrey, and then to
Malvern College, an experience he always regarded was the making of him.
Whilst at Malvern, he joined the Army Cadets, which paved the way to his joining the Territorial Army on leaving school.
In 1959/60, Guy took up employment with the banking firm, Mercantile Credit, where he was
selected to help set up a computing division. With his head for numbers, and meticulous
attention to detail, Guy thrived in this department.
He was a popular team player, making good friends with his colleagues, and as was always his way, succeeded in balancing his time between hard work, and much play at the local George pub in Great Queen Street.
In the late 60’s, early seventies, Guy spent a year helping set up computer systems, in Accra, Ghana. On his return home, he worked for Green Shield Stamps, later Argos, but only briefly, because he was fired by his boss, Sean O Callaghan, for spending too much time with his girlfriend.
His girlfriend was June Turner, a 20-year-old art student who was working as a barmaid at the Old Swan pub. Guy was smitten. On June’s 21st Birthday, he surprised June’s parents by turning up at her house with a bouquet of flowers.
In 1977, Guy and June were married in Fulham enjoying their honeymoon in Malta.
In the same year, Guy founded his own company C.A.B.S. Computer and Business Specialists, conducting interviews in the Royal Oak pub in Isleworth and employing a number of staff.
He was very successful in the burgeoning world of computer programming working with big name clients such as Rover Cars, Elizabeth Arden, and Gallaher cigarettes. Many of his employees stayed with him for many years and became family friends.
Guy and June bought their first flat in Chiswick in 1978, which Guy considered way out in the sticks, before heading even further out of town to Teddington where they lived for four years.
In 1981, their first daughter, Joanna was born, followed by Laura in 1983, and Guy’s suburban fate was sealed when they moved to Hampton, eventually settling at 50 Acacia Road in 1987, which would become the family home.
Guy was welcoming and hospitable, he loved having people over. He was an attentive host,
always keen to ensure everyone had a good time. It was not uncommon to see him standing on the driveway chatting for hours to the neighbours, and there are many memories of evenings spent playing cribbage, Spite and Malice or gin rummy.
At the pub he would chat to anyone, the Windmill being his most popular haunt until this closed-down and he relocated to The Royal Oak in Hampton. Many family holidays were spent in Nice, in the South of France, where Guy and June had a home.
Guy always drank gin and tonic, Gordon’s gin, until, relaxing his tastes in recent years, he was happy to settle for Sainsbury’s own, whilst a pack of Benson and Hedges accompanied him wherever he went.
In 2004, Guy and June divorced but remained forever devoted, right to the very end. The house on Acacia Road was sold, and Guy and Joanna moved together to Buckingham Road in Hampton.
Guy used to spend around nine months of the year in Estepona, southern Spain where he had an apartment and many friends.
In 2014, Guy and June’s first grandchild, Preston, was born, followed by a second grandson, Dillon, born on the same day as his grandpa, but 74 years later. Three more grandchildren came along, Joanna’s two sons, Leonardo and Frederico, and Laura’s third son, Jaxon.
Guy loved having his grandsons to visit. He was not a hugely hands on grandpa, preferring to remain in his chair and watch them play. He liked it when the children were a little older and he could chat to them, playing and quizzing them on their numerical skills.
He was a doting family man, welcoming his two sons-in-laws, Giuseppe and Ryan into the family fold with open arms, always supportive and generous.
The last couple of years were tough ones for Guy, as he became very restricted due to COVID.
He was unable to get to Spain and really missed it, and he was no longer able to prop up the bar at the pub. He used to get weekly visits from Laura and her family bringing his shopping, and chatting on the driveway, and he updated his IT knowledge in order to stay in touch with Joanna in France, but best of all, June moved in to look after him, and this was everything he could have wanted.
On the 13th August, 2022, Guy died in hospital having recently celebrated his 80th Birthday.
It goes without saying that amongst all the many hearts he touched, he will be sorely and
incredibly missed.