Dear LMU Community:
I am saddened to share that Donald J. Zirpola, emeritus professor of film and television production, passed away due to illness on May 8, 2026. He was 79 years old.
Professor Zirpola joined LMU in 1978 when Film and Television Studies was a department within the College of Communication Arts. He was among those who successfully advocated for the creation of the LMU School of Film and Television; he later became its chair and acting director. In contributing to the school’s development, he helped establish programs of national and international prominence. Professor Zirpola, who retired in 2025, taught many courses during his 47-year tenure, including “Directing Fiction,” “Directing Actors,” and “Producing.”
He was a producer, director, writer, and editor whose experience included work at Universal, PBS, and ABC. He also created award-winning documentaries, feature films, and commercials. Professor Zirpola was involved in the Student Academy Awards with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for more than 15 years as the Western Region coordinator. He served as president of the University Film and Video Association – CILECT – headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, which represents 178 schools in 56 countries, and he served as dean of a television and film school he designed for the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He also received a Rockefeller Foundation Grant to support his work, alongside colleagues in international distance media education.
Professor Zirpola earned a Ph.D. in communication theory and broadcast journalism from USC, an M.F.A. in cinema-television production from USC, and a B.A. in social psychology from Chapman University.
The Zirpola Family is creating the Don and Gabriele Zirpola Scholarship Fund for the LMU School of Film and Television for media production for students based on talent and financial need to help fulfill their dreams.
A memorial service for Professor Zirpola will be held in Sacred Heart Chapel on Aug. 20, 2026, at 11 a.m. A reception will follow in Sculpture Garden. RSVP to kjzjusticepeace@yahoo.com. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory for his late wife, Gabriele, to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Cards of condolence may be sent to: Karen J. Zirpola Miller, 3 Timber Valley Road, Charlton, MA 01507.
Please keep Don, his family, friends, and colleagues in your thoughts and prayers.
With care,
Thomas Poon, Ph.D.
President and Professor