Eugene Donald Zelmanski, 83, of Kalamazoo.
Starting line May 24, 1936, Detroit; finish line Sept. 5, 2019, Alamo Township.
Son of Edward “Hap,” Stella, and Eleanor Zelmanski; brother of Louise, James, and Ronald. Proud father of Susan and Pamela. Even prouder grandfather of Jayson Ramesh, Nathan Eugene, Margaret Jeanine, Abigail Mary, and Sean Patrick. Loyal uncle, cousin, neighbor and friend to many.
And there’s much more: Fisherman, paratrooper, proud pond owner, golf course builder, WMU graduate, 35 years Parker Hannifin engineer, passionate nature lover, beekeeper, wild bird enthusiast, hummingbird tracker, chicken and duck owner, expert soup maker, drinker of massive amounts of coffee, hunter, racehorse owner, charter fishing business owner, bar and restaurant owner, Army veteran, bicycle enthusiast, never missed a breakfast out-er, scuba diver, sky diver, box wine lover, multiple Ragbrai participant, ABBA lover, half-shirt fashion trendsetter, Thanksgiving chef, fishing camp leader, ingenious fixer of all things, lifelong Lions fan. And an excellent dancer. It was QUITE a ride!
Family and friends are welcome to join us at his home (Lions attire and fishing poles recommended) to reminisce and celebrate a life lived to its fullest on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations are welcome to be made to the Kal-Haven Bike Trail (269) 637-2788 or http://igfn.us/vf/GIVE.
Messages of condolence may be posted at www.WinkelFuneralHome.com.
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