Violet Zapara, known as Vi, a longtime friend and supporter of Loma Linda University Health, passed away on October 22 at the age of 99. She will be remembered for her and her husband’s generous gifts that supported a legacy that continues today with education, mission service, training of teachers throughout the country, and patient rehabilitation.
Zapara, originally from North Dakota, married Thomas, also a North Dakota native, in 1947 after meeting him in college in Southern California. At their kitchen table they founded Zee Medical Products, named after Thomas’ Army nickname. He had served as an Army medic in Europe during World War II. They eventually sold the company to McKesson Corporation. They later established Life Support Products and eventually sold that company, too.
The couple were strong supporters of numerous Seventh-day Adventist ministries, healthcare organizations, and schools.
At Loma Linda, The Tom & Vi Zapara Rehabilitation Pavilion opened in 2010 on the organization’s East Campus. The 30,000-square-foot facility provides 24 rehabilitation inpatient beds, all with private rooms. It was the first building of its kind in the Inland Empire because of its natural environment, social support, and reduction of environmental stressors for patients.
In 2011, the Zaparas generously provided funding for the Excellence in Science Experiential
Education (EXSEED) program at Loma Linda University, an initiative that was established to
help teachers in Seventh-day Adventist elementary schools and high schools learn ways to teach STEM subjects more creatively. To date, more than 2,500 teachers from throughout the United States and Caribbean have participated in the summer training program.
The couple contributed to scholarships for students, distance learning projects, the Family Values Research Fund, Students in International Mission Service (SIMS), and the Live It in the Kitchen video series. They also generously supported portions of the Drayson recreation and Wellness Center, the Councilors Student Pavilion, and the Centennial Complex.
For La Sierra University, their alma mater in nearby Riverside, California, they provided a lead gift to enable the construction of the Tom & Vi Zapara School of Business building, which opened in 2013.
The Zaparas were partners in business but also in philanthropy. They always saw themselves as partnering with God in dealing with the resources He gave them. Each decision they made together was bathed in prayer.
The Zaparas also established the Zapara Excellence in Teaching Awards in 1990. Vi always said one of the most important things to her was receiving letters from those who received teaching awards. She enjoyed hearing the impact of their philanthropy, and she kept all the letters she received.
Because of their significant involvement, Loma Linda University presented both Tom and Vi with honorary doctorates in 2018.
Her husband preceded her in death in 2024.
She is survived by her two daughters, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.