Thomas Tim Zimont

Windham - Thomas R. “Tim” Zimont, 56, of North Conway, NH, died on July 2, 2012 after a long illness. He was born on August 22, 1955 in Portland, the son of Patricia (Hincks) and Walter W. Zimont and grew up in Yarmouth, ME.

Tim attended Yarmouth schools and was a public safety employee in the southern Maine area for 30 years, working as a public safety dispatcher for several agencies in Cumberland County including the Sheriff’s Office, Maine State Police, the City of Portland and the City of Westbrook. He also dispatched part time for several communities in the suburban area, including Windham, Raymond, Yarmouth and Standish.

He was also a firefighter and ambulance attendant in several communities. His first assignment was South Windham, as a member of both Windham and Gorham departments. When the new Windham Central Station opened in 1989, he became a charter member of the newly formed Windham Center Fire Company. He also served fire and rescue departments in Raymond, Waterboro and Falmouth.

After 30 years serving the public, he left to pursue his original passion, railroading. While working for Westbrook, he also took a part time job at the Conway Scenic Railroad in No. Conway. In 2006, he went to work there full time and held several positions including Conductor, assistant manager, safety coordinator and utility worker. He also put in time at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad in Portland and the Belfast and Moosehead RR in Unity. He coordinated and directed the operations end of the first “Day Out with Thomas the Tank Engine” event at the Narrow Gauge in Portland in 2005, which ran 52 trains in six days and carried 15,000 passengers.

Tim was an avid rail fan, spending many hours trackside watching and photographing trains, becoming a familiar sight to many train crews in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Tim was also a founding member and Vice President of the Bartlett Roundhouse Preservation Club, a nonprofit group formed to save the historical roundhouse in Bartlett, NH and preserve railroad history of the Maine Central RR on the Mountain Division in ME, NH and VT.

Tim is survived by his parents of Yarmouth; three daughters: Erica Hamby and her husband Matt of Windham, Nicole Crosby and her husband Adam of Freeport and Amanda Zimont of Windham; five grandchildren: Jordan Canfijn, Rachel Dulac, Jacob Hamby, Joshua Hamby and Vanessa Crosby; as well as his sister Julie Zimont of Saco.

He is also survived by several members of his “railroad family” in the Conway area, including his best train chasing pal, Scotty Mallett; long time coworker and supervisor Paul Hallett and several residents of the caboose community.

Tim wanted to extend his appreciation to all of his family, his railroad friends for their kindness and support during his illness and especially to Russ Seybold of the Conway Scenic RR, whose support and encouragement was invaluable.

A time of visitation and celebration of Tim’s life will be held on Friday July 13, 2012 from 5 – 7 PM at Lindquist Funeral Home, One Mayberry Lane, Yarmouth. Please visit www.lindquistfuneralhome.com to view a video collage of Tim’s life and to share your condolences, memories and tributes with his family.

Tim has requested, instead of flowers, donations be made to: The Bartlett Roundhouse Preservation Club, Inc., PO Box 16, Bartlett, NH 03812-0016.