Gail A Zeamer Obituary
Gail A. (Hora) Zeamer, age 56 of Neenah, passed away Sunday, June 2nd, 2024, at home, surrounded by her husband and daughters. She was born May 3rd, 1968, in Des Plaines, IL, the daughter of Terry and Linda Hora.
Gail graduated from Maine West High School in Des Plaines in 1986. She received her bachelor's degree from Marquette University in 1990, and her master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Northern Illinois University in 1992.
She started her 30-year career working with children at La Rabida Children's Hospital in Chicago after college. When Gail moved to Neenah in 1997, she worked for St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac, then moved to Outagamie County Birth to Three in 2000. She worked there until health forced her to retire in 2021. A highlight for her was to travel to Azerbaijan in 2005 to help establish a Birth to Three program for the country. Gail loved children and found joy in helping countless children and their families over her career. The impact of her hard work will carry on in the voices of the children she helped.
Gail married Steve Zeamer in Chicago, on June 21st, 1997. Gail loved her family and did anything she could do to extend her time here on Earth with them. Her daughters brought her so much joy. She loved being a mom, and it showed. All her daughters' friends were cared for as if they were her own. She was always offering a warm hug or a bite of encouragement. She exuded love and compassion her entire life. She and her family attended St. Joseph's church in Appleton for nearly 30 years. She was always active in the church, involved with organizing the fall festival, and later became a Religious Ed teacher for many years.
After Gail was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer in 2016, she made it her mission to make sure that women were informed of their breast density, something that contributed to her late-stage diagnosis. After reaching out to her local legislator, and working tirelessly, she got Breast Density Notification Bill 653 passed and signed into law on April 3rd, 2018. She accomplished this all while in active treatment. She leaves a legacy of women who will live long, vibrant lives because they are well-informed about their breast density. Gail always said, "Women, know your density. It could save your life.".
Gail also loved dogs, especially her faithful companion, Norman. Their mutual adoration was evident anytime you saw them in the same room. During her time in treatment, and especially these last several months, Norman never left her side. Days on the couch always meant he was curled up next to her.
Gail loved reading, scrapbooking, and decorating her home. It was always a place that was warm and welcoming to anyone that stopped by. She had recently dreamt up the design for an exterior remodel on our home. She saw that through to fruition, which made her very happy.
Gail is survived by her husband of 26 years, Steve; two daughters: Sophia and Claudia; parents Terry and Linda Hora; sister Eileen (Bill) Lackovic, brother Brian (Jennifer) Hora; her in-laws: Will and Mary Zeamer, Tom (Beth) Zeamer, and Paul Zeamer, as well as many nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, as well as her Aunt Eve Hora and Aunt Diane Haack.
A memorial service will be held for Gail on June 16th at 1:00 pm at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 404 W. Lawrence St, Appleton, WI. This will be followed by a luncheon reception at the Hilton Appleton Paper Valley, College Avenue, Appleton, immediately following the service. Gail had requested that people attending the service bring to the church either children's books or blankets for infants and toddlers. These will be given to the Birth to Three program to distribute to needy families. If people are interested in donating to the Birth to 3 Program, they can go to vpiwi.org.
