In 1969, Zieff sold his company to Columbia Pictures in order to focus on filmmaking. After the release of My Girl 2 in 1994, Zieff retired from directing as he became increasingly debilitated by Parkinson's disease.[3]
Death
Zieff died aged 81 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at 8:10am on Sunday, February 22, 2009, with his wife (retired motion picture literary agent) Ronda Gomez-Quinones at his side. Private Benjamin star Goldie Hawn was among those to pay tribute to him, saying he had a "special talent for directing comedies, always a rare gift. What I remember and cherish most was his humour and love of laughter."[4] He is interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles.