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Sara Wachtman Zinman, who was born in the front bedroom of her family's home on Main Street in Conway and returned to live there in retirement, died Monday after an illness of eight months. She was 74. Mrs. Zinman was born October 22, 1931, the daughter of John Bryan Wachtman, the first administrator of Conway Hospital, and Ruby Lee Moore Wachtman. During the '40s, '50s, and '60s, Mrs. Wachtman recorded every birth and death in Conway as the city's Registrar of Vital Statistics. Mrs. Zinman, an honor graduate of Conway High School's Class of 1947, earned a B.A. degree in 1953 from the College of William and Mary in Willamsburg, Va. She taught English and Journalism at Norview High School in Norfolk Va. for three years, then worked briefly as a reporter for the Myrtle Beach Daily News. After her marriage in 1956 to David Zinman, a newspaperman, she returned with him to Norfolk, then moved to New Orleans where he worked for the Associated Press. But she spent most of her married life on Long Island where her husband was the medical writer for Newsday, the Long Island daily, and they lived in Point Lookout, a small oceanside community. For the past 15 years, the two spent winter and spring in her family's one-story frame home across Kingston Lake Drive from the historic Rebecca Bryan house. They would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on October 27. Mrs. Zinman had an abiding interest in the arts. From 1980 to 2005, she spent summers at Chautauqua, the famous cultural center in upstate New York. She was for many years secretary of the Chautauqua Opera Guild. She also was president of the Class of 1984 of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle, America's oldest continuous book club. Mrs. Zinman was a member of the Peter Horry Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Conway chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. She was also a member of the Horry Council Historical Society and of Conway's First Methodist Church and a former member of its church choir. In addition to her husband, Mrs. Zinman is survived by three children: Daniel Zinman and his wife Lauren, of Harrison, N.Y.; Caroline Zinman of New City, N.Y.; and Elizabeth Zinman of Bayville, N.Y. Surviving also are three grandchildren: twins Matthew and Samantha Zinman, 7; and Ava Zinman, 3, of Harrison, N.Y. Also surviving are Mrs. Zinman's brothers: John "Jack" Wachtman and Edward Wachtman, both of Silver Spring, Md. A memorial service will be held 1:30 pm, Thursday at the First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Ben Barnette officiating. The family will receive friends from 5-7 pm Wednesday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be sent to the American Diabetes Association, 2711 Middleburg Drive, Suite 205, Columbia, SC 29204. Goldfinch Funeral Home, Conway Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Tributes

Sara Wachtman Zinman

April 17, 2006