Hundreds farewell ‘beautiful’ mum Susan Zimmer and daughter Steffanie Zimmer killed in crash
A woman who lost her mother and sister in a horrific Gold Coast hinterland crash fought back tears as she described the pair as “inseparable” in life and now “together forever” in death.
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A woman who lost her mother and sister in a horrific Gold Coast hinterland crash fought back tears as she described the pair as “inseparable” in life and now “together forever” in death.
Susan Zimmer, 70 and her daughter Steffanie Zimmer, 35, died at the scene of the Bonogin Road crash on December 30.
Susan’s daughter and Steffanie’s sister, Claudine Snow, described the heartbreaking reality she now faced during their emotional funeral.
“I wish I could wake up from this nightmare and you could both come back to me,” a distraught Ms Snow said.
Susan’s partner and retired doctor Christopher Fawcett, 79, also died at the scene.
Family, friends and Bonogin community members celebrated the lives of Susan and Steffanie during a funeral service in the Bill Deacon Pavilion, Mudgeeraba Showgrounds on Friday.
Area councillor Glenn Tozer and police officers were also in attendance.
The first half of the service was dedicated to the “driven” and “resourceful” Susan - a figure skater, accountant, but first and foremost - a dedicated mum to her two girls.
“She found her piece of paradise in Bonogin. She would be so relieved that this beautiful community has wrapped its arms around us,” Ms Snow told mourners gathered.
“The main message is that she loved her family dearly. Mum cared fulltime for Steffanie as she had an intellectual disability.
“They were inseparable and now they are together forever.
“If you’re listening mum, I don’t know what to do without you. You’re my best friend and I find myself picking up the phone to call for your advice.”
Ms Snow recalled one of her fondest memories of her mum.
Susan has taken her young daughters to McDonalds for treats, but refused to eat herself.
“She told me at the time she didn’t like it,” the mum of three said.
“I later found out that she very much did like it, but she only had enough money to feed us kids and she could go without.
“She made so many sacrifices for us.”
Ms Snow recalled her younger sister Steffanie being a “beautiful child” who “carried her childlike nature into adulthood”.
The solemn service was disrupted by an eruption of laughter from mourners as Ms Snow described the time her sister went missing.
“As I reached the age of 18 and started hanging out at pubs, Steffanie wanted to do the same,” she said.
“A full blown police search was initiated and she was found at the Arundel Tavern trying to order a drink.”
She described Steffanie as “blessed physically” and someone who could “run like the wind”.
“She was the under 20s state athletics champion and broke records,” Ms Snow said.
“Steffanie was most happy when she was running. She competed in the world athletics championships and the Beijing paralympics trials.”
“You and mum will be together forever.”
Bright purple, orange, pink and yellow flowers adorned Susan and Steffanie’s white caskets.
Ms Snow placed white rollerskates on her mum’s casket before the service began.
Coldplay’s “The Scientist” played as mourners gathered inside the Pavilion, with the song’s words ringing out: “Come up to meet you, tell you I’m sorry. You don’t know how lovely you are.”
Memorial booklets with the words “together forever” and photos of the mum and daughter were handed to attendees.
Susan and Steffanie not only leave behind Ms Snow, but Ms Snow’s husband Graham and their children Audrey, Yvonne and Grayson.
Following the service, a cortege was to proceed to the Mudgeeraba Cemetery where Susan and Steffanie were to be laid to rest together.
Uiatu “Joan” Taufua has been charged with three counts of manslaughter over the crash.
EARLIER: A mother and daughter killed in a Gold Coast Hinterland crash will remain “together forever”, an emotional farewell attended by hundreds has heard.
Susan Zimmer, 70 and her daughter Steffanie Zimmer, 35, died at the scene of the Bonogin Road crash on December 30.
Susan’s partner and retired doctor Christopher Fawcett, 79, also died at the scene.
Family, friends and Bonogin community members celebrated the lives of Susan and Steffanie during a service in the Bill Deacon Pavilion, Mudgeeraba Showgrounds on Friday.
Memorial booklets with the words “together forever” and photos of the Mum and daughter were handed to attendees.
Bright purple, orange, pink and yellow flowers adorned Susan and Steffanie’s white caskets.
Susan’s surviving daughter and Steffanie’s surviving sister Claudine Snow placed white rollerskates on her mum’s casket before the service began.
Coldplay’s “The Scientist” played as mourners gathered inside the Pavilion, with the songs words ringing out: “Come up to meet you, tell you I’m sorry. You don’t know how lovely you are.”
Claudine Snow said her mother Susan Zimmer made the most of everything, rising from a tough upbringing to bring “energy and that magic smile” to everyone she met.
“For much of our lives we were the three amigos,” she said.
“We were really a team.”
She said her mum would take comfort from the huge outpouring of support from the local community.
“She (Mum) found her piece of paradise (at Bonogin),” she said.
“She would be so relieved that this beautiful community has wrapped its arms around us.
“Mum, if you’re listening, I don’t know what I’m going to do.
“What I would give to give you one more hug or see one more smile.”
Local police and politicians also attended the ceremony.
Ms Snow was comforted by friends and family at the service for her mother, a talented roller skater in her youth, and sister, who had dreamt of representing Australia at the Paralympics.
Mr Fawcett, a retired skin cancer specialist originally from WA, will be farewelled in a private funeral at a later date.
Uiatu “Joan” Taufua has been charged with three counts of manslaughter over the crash.
Taufua, who was on parole over an unrelated offence at the time of the crash, has had her bail revoked and is in Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre.
EARLIER: Hundreds of mourners have gathered at the Mudgeeraba Showgrounds this morning to farewell a mother and daughter killed in a Gold Coast hinterland crash.
Susan Zimmer, 70 and her daughter Steffanie Zimmer, 35, died at the scene of the Bonogin Road crash on December 30.
Susan’s partner and retired doctor Christopher Fawcett, 79, also died at the scene.
Family, friends and Bonogin community members are celebrating the lives of Susan and Steffanie during a service in the Bill Deacon Pavilion.
Susan and Steffanie are being remembered as respected members of the tight-knit community.
They leave behind daughter and sister Claudine Snow, her husband Graham and their children Audrey, Yvonne and Grayson.
Following the service, a cortege will proceed to the Mudgeeraba Cemetery where Susan and Steffanie will be laid to rest together.
Ms Snow described her family’s deaths as “senseless” in the days after the tragedy.
“It’s destroyed my life - I don’t know if I can ever be happy again,” she said.
Ms Snow first realised something was horribly wrong when she had a missed call on her phone early the next morning.
“I called the mobile number and it was someone from Queensland Police and I just dropped to my knees,” she said.
“I knew it was about mum. (The person on the phone) said ‘they’re all gone’.”
She described her mum as her “best friend”, her sister as “beautiful” and her stepdad as someone who “saved lives”.
“My sister had an intellectual disability, but she could light up a room and make anyone laugh,” the distraught mum said.
“My stepdad and my mum, they were very avid gardeners.
“I think my stepdad would be analysing every flower (placed at the roadside memorial) and telling me to at least put them in water.
“My mum and my sister, especially my sister, she was a child at heart - she loved stuffed toys and teddy bears.”
A makeshift memorial was built at the crash site, with three white crosses bearing the names of the deceased.
Someone spray-painted “3 lives lost” on the road surface.
A community fundraiser for the family was held at the Mudgeeraba Bowls Club on January 8 and raised more than $10,000.
Uiatu “Joan” Taufua has been charged with three counts of manslaughter over the crash.
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