Remembering Lee Zimmerman

The Philadelphia VIP community is deeply saddened by the death of our friend and past Board President Lee Zimmerman on November 9, 2025.

Lee was a dedicated VIP volunteer attorney with a special commitment to representing Philadelphia small businesses and nonprofits pro bono. Toward the end of his life, he picked up a tangled title and estates practice for our low-income homeowner clients and mentored law student volunteers in this work. In his fifteen years of service to VIP, he represented over two dozen pro bono clients and helped countless others through his ambassadorship and financial support.

As President of VIP’s Board of Directors (2020-2022), he shepherded VIP through a period of momentous change, including the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a major fundraising push and celebration of VIP’s fortieth anniversary, and the hiring of our current Executive Director, Rida Haq. Lee faced these challenges with courage and kept the organization on a steady path.

“Losing him feels like losing a piece of our foundation,” said Rida Haq, Executive Director. “He was more than a Board President. He was a mentor and someone who constantly pushed me and VIP to be better and bolder and to look at things from angles we hadn’t even imagined. At our fundraisers, he was always the life of the party, the person everyone gravitated toward. And at the same time, he was deeply dedicated to his pro bono clients: always responsive, respectful, and willing to show up for people who needed him. His generosity, his joy, and his belief in our work helped shape who we are. I’m so grateful for his guidance, his vision, and the heart he poured into this community.”

In his Vice President role at TE Connectivity, he championed a VIP—TE partnership that has long been a cornerstone of our nonprofit/small business legal assistance project. He brought new colleagues into the fold, pushed new lawyers to pursue pro bono work, and strengthened one of our most valued corporate partnerships.

“Lee was the architect of the VIP and TE partnership, making it an indispensable cornerstone of our legal assistance,” said John Jenkins, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at TE Connectivity. “His example continues to be a guide star, showing us all how the dedication to being of service can fundamentally transform both public and private communities. His legacy is the countless lives touched by his commitment and investment.”

 We are grateful to Lee for his years of service to VIP and our thoughts are with his family and friends.