Mirta Noemi Abud de Zimmerman

Mirta Noemi Abud de Zimmerman, age 78, died on April 24, 2025, in Bethesda, MD. Curious, enigmatic, witty, playful, and astute, she was often quiet and self-effacing in social settings, but she was always listening, observing, and deeply attuned to the subtle thoughts, moods, and opinions of everybody around her—even when they eluded everyone else in the room. When she did speak, she was measured, precise, and often captivating. She also possessed an astounding memory, recounting childhood stories with a sharp eye for detail and recalling entire conversations years later. Truly, nothing got past her.

Born on the Puerto Belgrano Naval Base in Punta Alta, Argentina, on March 30, 1947, she spent much of her early life in Punta Alta before immigrating with her family to the U.S. in 1959. Her ties to Argentina remained strong throughout her life. She worked as one of the civilian personnel for the Argentine Naval Commission for 51 years, finishing her career as computer coordinator. She read about news and current events in Argentina every day and never lost the feeling of having one foot in Argentina and one in the U.S., a sensation that contributed to her great talent for observation; she could see things from the inside and the outside, perceive the familiar with fresh eyes, and read people and situations with both clarity and empathy.

Her childhood also sparked in her a keen awareness of the wider world, a boundless curiosity, and a voracious appetite for knowledge. An avid reader, she cherished memories of books she had read as a small child. She also loved collecting newspaper and magazine articles to send to her children or emailing them links with a simple subject line: “fyi.” A fierce intellect, she was proficient in five languages.

Not easily satisfied or content, she always strove to accumulate more knowledge and see things from a different perspective. This endless quest for knowledge also led her to surmount many obstacles in pursuit of her education, first obtaining multiple translation certifications from Georgetown University in the early 1970s, and then, in 1986, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland, a degree she earned while working full-time and raising three children. Her own educational journey made her deeply value learning in all forms, and she worked hard to make it accessible to everyone. Later in life, she devoted her time outside of work (and then in retirement) to teaching Spanish and early childhood literacy (with a particular focus on working with Latino children) in local elementary schools. She continued teaching these classes until January of this year.

Aside from her family, perhaps her greatest passion was young children—spending time with them, nurturing them, teaching them, learning from them, loving them. And they loved her back. Her expression and whole being instantly changed when young children entered the room, and they could feel this affection, returning it in kind. This love of nurturing children also strengthened her desire for a more just world.

She is survived by her husband, Laurence, whom she adored; her three children, Natalia Homestead (Keir Homestead), Christian Zimmerman (Yisleni Zurita Navarro), and Martin Zimmerman (Kelly Howe); her four grandchildren; her brother Jorge Abud (Barbara Bartoo); her cousin Juan Carlos Juhasz (Beatriz Montana), with whom she was raised; and many other loving cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, Jorge Abud, and mother, Maria Asunción Valencia.

On Tuesday, May 6, 2025, there will be a Visitation hour at 12:30 PM and a Funeral Mass at 1:30 PM with a reception to follow (St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, 917 Montrose Rd, Rockville, Maryland, 20852-4203). Burial will take place on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 11:30 AM at the National Memorial Cemetery at Quantico, Triangle, Virginia.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Mirta’s honor may be made to Catholic Relief Services (support.crs.org).