Obituary – Solomon Kimerling z”l

Solomon P. Kimerling of Birmingham and Boulder passed away on Thursday, April 7, 2022. Born in Birmingham on December 12, 1930 to Max Kimerling and Tillie Alterman Kimerling, Mr. Kimerling graduated from Ramsay High School and the University of Alabama, where he was an Air Force ROTC cadet. During the Korean War, Mr. Kimerling served in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in France. Following military service, Mr. Kimerling built the Alabama Oxygen Company into a successful public company. In 1976, he was named Small Business Person of the Year for the state of Alabama and served as President of the International Oxygen Manufacturers Association. He was engaged in the early development of solar energy and instrumental in the first solar farm installation in the U.S.  After retiring, he served as an adjunct professor in the School of Business at the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB). A lifelong learner with a deep commitment to both Birmingham and his Jewish faith, Mr. Kimerling worked tirelessly to document and preserve the history of his communities. He coauthored a 12-part series on the history of Birmingham during the Civil Rights era for WELD newspaper called “No More Bull!”, and he established The Rita C. Kimerling Public History Endowment to provide support for programming in UAB’s History Department. He was the president of the Birmingham Jewish Federation, a founding member of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership and member of the Reconstructionist Jewish Movement board.

Known by those who loved him as Solly, Dad, Zade, Z and ZZ, Mr. Kimerling was a masterful storyteller, and his infectious smile and love for chocolate and strong coffee will be fondly remembered by all who knew him.  Mr. Kimerling was predesceased by his wife Rita Capouya Kimerling and is survived by his four children: Elise Kimerling Wirtschafter (Gary Wirtschafter) of Beverly Hills, CA; Judith P. Kimerling of New York City; Michael E. Kimerling (Anne Dumoulin) of Paris, France; and Leslie M. Kimerling (Butch Weaver) of Boulder, CO; three grandchildren: Eric D. Wirtschafter (Gloriana Mohr), Carla M. Wirtschafter (Joseph Thorpe), and Valerie A. Wirtschafter (Cody Giddings); and six great-grandchildren: Landon and William Wirtschafter, Avital, Erez, and Oren Gan-Levy, Julian Weaver-Ulrich and his sister Paula Fae Kimerling Wolfe . Services will take place on Sunday April 10th at 11 AM at Temple Beth-El followed by burial at Elmwood Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Street Squash Rita C. Kimerling College Scholarship Fund ( www.streetsquash.org ), or a charity of your choice.