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Aaron Thomas Ziemba was born on a winter’s day with light
snow on the ground on December 2, 1976, the year of the
Bi-Centennial. His father, Thomas H. Ziemba was a draftsman/
designer at the time and was very excited to have a son. Dad’s
fi rst comment was that he looks like Grandpa Henry Ziemba.
His mother, Margaret L. Ziemba Nagel, was a stay-at-home
mom for a couple of years and went on to become a legal
secretary as Aaron entered school. Mom remembers Aaron was
very quiet at birth and did not cry right away. She remembers
him as a young child sitting in his room with the door closed,
quietly singing songs on the radio, but he would stop when
someone entered. In March of 1979, Aaron was excited to
have a little brother, Brian Michael Ziemba. Even though there
was the normal brother rivalry in the early years, Aaron and
Brian’s relationship grew strong.
Aaron began talking at the age of 18 months and was reciting
nursery rhymes before he was 2 years old. He and Brian
loved to work in the family vegetable garden and play with
their Beagles Sparky and Happy. Aaron also loved going to
the beach as a child and spending time at Lake Michigan.
He loved fi shing with his Dad and Brian and came home with
several stringers of bluegills and perch on many occasions.
Aaron attended Sacred Heart Catholic School for
Kindergarten. He learned to love Jesus and made many
greeting cards expressing his love and Jesus love for Mom,
Dad, and Brian. Aaron then attended Edgewood Elementary
in Fruitport, Michigan. He was a gifted student and enjoyed
sketching birds free hand. He attended Fruitport Middle and
High School graduating in1995. Aaron attended
Muskegon Community College for one year
and transferred to Western Michigan University,
where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in
Sports Medicine in early 2000. Aaron became a
Certifi ed Athletic Trainer.
Aaron began playing Little League baseball
with Beach Little League at age 7 continuing
through Middle School. In those years Aaron
developed a love of sports. He went on to play
football at Fruitport Middle School and Fruitport
High School. Because of some problems with

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his back, he was not able to see
a lot of playing time, but he could
be seen in uniform walking along
the team players on the sidelines
and looking at the crowd with his
arms up screaming in support of
his team and getting the crowd
going with enthusiasm.
In the 6th grade Aaron met, Nate
Danicek, and they became close
friends, playing sports together,
and eventually becoming
college roommates at Western
Michigan University. During
that time, Aaron taught himself
to play the guitar. He had a real gift for listening to music on
CD’s or the radio and learned to play many songs by ear.
He never took lessons but could play almost anything. He
also taught himself to play drums and played for his own
pleasure at home in the “Cabin” on Bear Lake Road where
he lived. He and Nate, who also played guitar, formed a rock
band called Tangent, along with Nate’s brother Sean and
friend Jeff Novak on the drums. They played at many local
establishments, one of which was a bar/restaurant called
Whitlows. It was there during the Muskegon Air Show
that they met a group of pilots who asked them to
play for the Air Show event. This was a highlight for
the band as they setup and played from the back end
of a C5A Galaxy cargo plane. Aaron’s friends meant
everything to him and he counted them as his family.
Aaron was always about having a good time. He loved
making people laugh.
Aaron was employed at Hackley Sports Medicine to
rehab patients after orthopedic surgery or sports injuries.
He found his niche working with young people while
covering sporting events as an athletic trainer
at Reeths Puffer High School in 2003. He
not only helped young athletes to recover
from injuries, but also to strengthen both
their bodies, minds, and spirits. He
encouraged them to push themselves
to limits they had not known. He spoke

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to teams using slogans like “Refuse to Lose”, “Play with
Passion, Play with Pride”, and “Bigger, Faster, Stronger”. He
ran strength training classes during the summers with his
coworkers Ted Quick and Mike Braid. Aaron also took
many students “under his wing”, encouraging
them and staying in touch after graduation
through years in college and early adulthood.
As Aaron traveled to Florida during his years at
Reeths Puffer for soccer spring training camps,
he began to realize his love for “The Sunshine
State”. It continued to draw him away from the grey
snowy weather in Michigan; and at the urging of a
friend who moved to Florida one year earlier, Aaron
made the decision it was time for a change. He left
Michigan in June 2007, obtaining a position as an
Athletic Trainer at Florida Orthopaedic Institute in
Brandon, Florida, near Tampa. This was a very
happy time in Aaron’s life. He discovered many
places to fi sh and would often fi sh late on a Friday
night, sleep in his car, and get up in the early
morning and fi sh all day Saturday. He learned a
lot about salt water fi shing and loved sharing that
with anyone who would ask.
However, Aaron’s life was not complete. He
was very lonely. He kept in close touch with a
lovely young lady, Shannon Jo Brown, he met
in Michigan just prior to moving to Florida.
They talked many hours by phone for nearly a
year and decided they needed to know if the
relationship would grow. She visited Aaron
in FL a few times, and their fi rst Christmas in
FL, Aaron said “surprise, we are going to Disney World for
Christmas.” Aaron loved Holidays, especially Halloween
when he and Shannon would dress in costume and go out
together or party with friends. Shannon moved to Florida the
summer of 2009 and their love blossomed. Aaron proposed
to Shannon in late August of 2011, and with two weeks to
plan and help from family, neighbors, and friends, they were
married in a gazebo on the beach September 2, 2011 at Little
Harbor Resort in Ruskin, FL. It was a very happy occasion,
and Aaron and Shannon’s smiles that day were constant.
God blessed them with a beautiful sunset.

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Following months of loss of physical mobility and a seizure in
late 2009, Aaron was diagnosed with brain cancer in January
2010. Through months of diffi cult treatment, loss of use of his
right arm, Shannon remained at his side. When he was unable
to continue working, his little dog
Buster was always by his side. Aaron
was a man of deep inner strength
and determination. He was a fi ghter
and would not give up. Shannon
agreed and remained strong beyond
understanding. Their love was
tried at times because of
Aaron’s illness, but remained
strong and committed. Aaron
had clean scans showing
the fi rst tumor gone in March
of 2011. In June of 2011,
the tumors returned. As the
illness brought more decline
to Aaron physically and
mentally, his acceptance was becoming evident. He said
“Hey, I can’t change this; I just have to keep going every
day.” He began to cry out to God that he was done and
wanted to come home. He received that blessing on
Saturday October 29, 2011, under loving compassionate
care at Lifepath Hospice House in Sun City Center, FL Aaron
passed into the arms of his Savior Jesus Christ in the early
morning with Shannon and his Mom at his side.
This illness changed Aaron. What mattered most to him
during this time were not things but people. He was blessed
to have visits from family and friends who came to Florida. He
would say take time to be present with the people you love,
just sit together and talk or just be quiet together, slow
down and savor what you eat, sit by the bay
or the canal and be at peace. Celebrate
all the little things in life because they
become the big things.
Mr. Aaron T. Ziemba, age 34,
died Saturday, October
29, 2011. He was born
in Muskegon, MI on
December 2, 1976

to Thomas Ziemba & Margaret
(Mangold) Nagel and married
the former Shannon Brown on
September 2, 2011. Mr. Ziemba
had been employed as an Athletic
Trainer at Florida Orthopedic Institute
until passing. He enjoyed all outdoor
activities, sports, and music.
SURVIVORS
Wife, Shannon; father, Thomas
(Karen) Ziemba of Holland; mother,
Margaret (Dennis) Nagel of Grand
Rapids; brother, Brian (Holly) Ziemba
of N. Muskegon; mother-in-law,
Deanna (Michael Miller) Brown; father-in-law, Joe Brown;
brother-in-law, Shawn (Lindsay) Brown; his special companion,
Buster; several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews & cousins, as
well as, many special friends and students at Reeths Puffer
High School. He was preceded in death by his grandparents,
Henry (Mary) Ziemba and John (Irene) Mangold.
SERVICE
Saturday, November 5, 2011, 11:00 AM at Laketon Bethel
Reformed Church with Rev. Dr. Sherwin
Brantsen offi ciating. Interment at Laketon
Township Cemetery.
VISITATION
Friday, November 4, 2011, 2-4 & 6-8 PM at
Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon
and Saturday, 1 hour prior to the service at the
church. MEMORIAL: Reeths Puffer Athletics.
Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to
leave a memory or sign the online guest book.
Clock Life Story- Muskegon
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