Obituary
Ülo was born on October 28th, 1926 in the city of Tartu in the country of Estonia prior to its occupation by the Soviet Union. He lived with his parents and brother Heino in an eight-room house, where the family operated a thriving tailoring business in the city. He was also very close to his grandmother, who lived a block and a half away. She regularly took Ülo fishing while she watched and knitted; which would prove to be very influential in his later life. During World War II, Estonia was repeatedly occupied by the Germans and Soviet Russians. During the final occupation by the Soviets in 1940, Ülo was captured and imprisoned. He later managed to escape and found his way to what became the American Zone in post-war Germany. The family reunited in this area until they were able to emigrate to the United States under the Displaced Persons Program. Ülo recounted that “with the Grace of God, on July 4, 1949, he was the first Displaced Person to arrive in the United States in Miami, Florida.” When he would later discuss this event, he would say “I arrived in the United States on July 4, 1949, and Americans have been celebrating ever since!” Although schooled through European educational systems overseas, Ülo continued his education and obtained degrees in Civil Engineering and Industrial Engineering from the University of Miami. He spent many years working for the Miami Herald newspaper before joining Pan American World Airways, Inc., where he worked in the Data Systems Management Department in various locations in the Northeast. While at Pan Am, Ülo met his wife Juliet Awon and they moved to River Edge, New Jersey, where they lived until Ülo’s retirement. When moving back to Florida from New Jersey, Ülo searched for a house that was near the water so he could readily continue his love of fishing. That is how he ended up in New Smyrna Beach. As many of you know, Ülo was always a consummate fisherman who could never bear to purchase fish at retail because it was never fresh enough. Ülo is survived by his wife Juliet Awon Uibopuu, children John Oliver Frederick and Charlene Zimmermann; and grand-children, Ryan and Jason Zimmermann. We pray, dear Ülo, that you are with Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
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