If you have any stories or memories you would like to share with us or even if you would like to just let us know you were thinking of Dan, please do contribute. Follow this link Sign Guest Book to sign the guest book.
Update: It has been suggested that you should type the message into a Word Processor (MS Word, Works, Word Perfect, Textpad) and copy/paste the message into the comment box on the web page. Also, you do not have to sign up for any web site membership. Select "Other" when you are prompted for a Google username or "Anonymous" and you will be able to simply type your name.
Dan Zanowiak, 59, of Edmond, Oklahoma passed from this life on Wednesday night in Oklahoma City. Dan was born on April 23, 1948 in Lubbock, TX to Paul Peter and Mary Jo Zanowiak. He attended high school in Pasadena, TX and earned his bachelors degree in mathematics in 1973 from the University of Texas at Arlington. On June 10th, 1970 he married his best friend and the love of his life, Donna Jorgenson, in Durant, Oklahoma. Their marriage was blessed with the birth of two wonderful sons, Zac and Zeb. The family moved to Edmond, Oklahoma in 1981 where he continued teaching with the Edmond public schools touching thousands of lives throughout his high school teaching career. “Mr. Z” retired from teaching in 2004 and enjoyed three wonderful years of retirement. His most significant legacy was the level of devotion he had towards his family and love for his friends, all who will miss him dearly. He will live on through his family and friends and through the legacy of students he taught. Dan is preceded in death by his father, Paul Peter Zanowiak and brother, Paul Peter Zanowiak II. Dan is survived by his wife, Donna; his mother, Mary Jo of Houston, TX; his two sons: Zac of Edmond, Zeb and wife Shelly of Houston, TX; his brother Larry and wife Janey of Mineral Wells, TX; his mother-in-law Lola Jorgenson of Edmond; and his three sisters-in-law of Edmond: Linda Horton, Karen Giddy and husband Don, and Lorna Williams and husband David. He is also survived by nieces and nephews: Scott Horton of Fort Worth, TX; Kristy Brummitt of Edmond; Brad Horton of Edmond; Julie Koiner of Edmond; Szalan Boadman of Houston, TX; Collyn Brown of Dallas, TX; Jonathan Zanowiak of Amarillo, TX; Kendall Zanowiak of Austin, TX; Terranne Williams of Edmond; Kyle Williams of Edmond; and MacKenzie Williams of Edmond; and 17 great nieces and nephews. Dan was anxiously awaiting the birth of his first grandson later this year. Visitation will be held Saturday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Baggerley Funeral home in Edmond. A memorial service is scheduled for 2:00 PM on Sunday also at Baggerley Funeral.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Dan Zanowiak Memorial Guestbook
Posted by Donna at 4:41 PM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
13 comments:
Dan meant so much to me, not just because he was my brother-in-law and married to my precious sister, Donna, but because he was one of the kindest persons I have ever known. Dan always saw the good in people and would expound on that rather than say anything derogatory. He saw something good in most everyone. He also brought out the best in people helping them to see the good in themselves, thus building their ego and helping them to try to succeed in life. Many times as some of the family would be eating in a restaurant, a former student would come up to Dan and tell him how they appreciated all his help and encouragement while attending his class. Some of these students had been in his class just three or four years ago and some had attended his class many years ago and still remembered good things about Dan. Dan was the most unpretentious person I have ever known. He never wanted to be in the limelight - in fact, he would do anything to avoid calling attention to himself.
Dan was always there when anyone needed help (especially after retirement). He helped build fences, lay tile floors, tile back splashes, plumbing and electrical work, trim trees. etc. No job was too difficult, and with Donna’s assistance, he did a wonderful job in remodeling their beautiful home. When I moved to Edmond several years ago, he helped me make many decisions, which I so much appreciated, as I trusted his judgment immensely.
And he did all this with such generosity and enthusiasm. He said to me many times that "We are family, and that is what family is for." I was just a sister-in-law, but he treated me like a sister, and if I had a brother I would have wanted him to be just like Dan. I have the utmost love and respect for him.
I shared many good times with Donna and Dan. I went to the State Fair with them the past two years and they would often invite me to their home, and we would have a wonderful time just sitting on the patio or the pergola and just visit. They were both so good to me, and I love them both dearly. Now it’s my job to help Donna and be there for her. It is an honor to be asked by their son, to help in this mission.
We will all miss Dan (family and friends as well). He was honest, trustworthy and dedicated to his family and friends. He loved Donna and his boys so much, and the feeling was mutual. In all their 37 years of marriage, I never heard them say an unkind word about each other. I’m sure they had their differences, but they respected each other’s opinions and worked out any problems they might have. They were truly soul mates, and his passing is going to create a big hole in the hearts and lives of Donna and his two sons, Zac and Zeb. Now it is our mission to reciprocate and help them through this very tragic time. We cannot change the fact that Dan is gone, but we can help fill that deep void that will be their hearts for a very long time. I know that is what Dan would want us to do, and we now have the opportunity to “help family because that is what family is for”
Dan was truly loved by all, and we will miss him dearly.
Linda Horton
Uncle Dan
Such a warm and caring man
You have always been
Always thinking of others first
That’s my Uncle Dan
You were a wonderful husband, father, and son
Not to mention a brother, uncle, cousin, and friend
Always so generous with everything you had
And hosting many barbecues that were always so much fun
You meant so very much
To each and every one
Always willing to listen and help
And give your gentle touch
Teaching others with your lead
In ways that we could understand
Requesting us to pass on to others
In their times of need
When I close my eyes and think of you
I feel your wisdom, smile, and tremendous love
Without a doubt, was seen by all
The genuine desire to help mankind were all so very true
You have now quietly passed away
Leaving us so many fond and lasting memories
The legacy of Uncle Dan
Will live on each and every day
Uncle Dan, we love you so much and your presence will be sorely missed!
Scott Horton
I never would imagine that I would be writing my thoughts about Dan. He was a good, kind and gentle spirited man. His gifting was to be a teacher. Even after his retirement, he continued to teach others by the questions he answered or by working with or for someone by showing them how to do some job. Dan had a wealth of knowledge. By the way, Dan always said, “No question is a stupid question”. That was good for me to hear.
He was such a loved man. Donna and Dan had a very special love and marriage. They were best friends. He was so proud of Zac and Zeb. Shelly has been a wonderful wife for Zeb and Dan was looking forward to being a grandfather. He would have been a wonderful grandfather. I knew that by the way he loved my grandchildren. All of the family loved Dan. Donna and Dan always showed so much love to my children and their children. Fifteen of us coming out to their home for a rib dinner should have overwhelmed them, but they are always so gracious. They played with my grandchildren and always made things so nice.
Donna and Dan worked, played, exercised and rested together. They created and built their home to always welcome family. Mary has had a suite prepared for her for some time now. Dan and Donna have cared for their Mothers very well. Their home is part of their legacy. It won’t be difficult to remember Dan because you can see his and Donna’s hard work (they wouldn’t call it work) all over the home and yard. They enjoyed their projects, but they never let their projects stand in the way of helping or doing something for someone in the family. I do remember Dan and several other family members putting in a new garage door opener at our home. One wire was hot and one was not. Dan got zapped!!. How many people does it take to put in a new garage door opener????
I was talking to a young friend of mine about Dan. He had been her teacher in school. When I started to tell her about how much he loved his family, she stopped me and said I didn’t need to tell her that because he talked about Donna, Zac and Zeb in class a lot and it was very obvious that he was totally devoted to his family.
We went on family vacations together. One I remember was in Ruidosa. There were hiking trails and I think they picked a moderate challenging trail that was about 4 or 5 miles long. They asked if anyone wanted go with them and I accepted the challenge. WELL, as best as I can remember, we were prepared. However, we didn’t prepare for the sun going down. I think the trail had to be mislabeled (it had to be DIFFICULT). Dan watched the sun and we set out for a run through the sloping hilly trail. We would stop shortly for a quick drink and a breath. There were bears in the forest (at least boogers). We finally made it out. The family was getting a little concerned about us, but very glad to see us. That may not be exactly how it happened, BUT IT’S THE WAY I LIKE TO TELL IT!!!!!!!
Seriously, we all feel a great vacuum in out family. There is such an empty hole in my heart. Our family is changed forever. I hope that I never take another day here on earth for granted because it is just a vapor.
We will always remember and keep Dan’s memory alive. He was living for you Donna, Zac, Zeb, Shelly and Baby “Z”. I loved him too.
Karen
We can all learn a number of valuable things from the way my Uncle Dan lived his life, which is appropriate since he was not only a teacher in his professional career but also always strived to pass on knowledge and appreciation of the learning process to his family and friends.
The first thing that comes to mind is the importance of family. In fact, when I think of Uncle Dan, I also think of Aunt Donna – meaning that I only ever knew them as one soul, one person, one being. With my wedding just two short weeks away, my fiancé John and I have thought long about what we want from a marriage and what it means to us. To us, marriage is an equal partnership of love, support, devotion, work, faith, leadership, and more. It seems that so few couples actually have this. In addition, we’ve often been chided for never having been in a fight and wonder why it’s expected to be the norm. We realized we wanted something different and wondered if our expectations of marriage were just too high. But then we thought of Dan and Donna and everything they have and realized that that marriage and union between two souls is possible.
Dan and Donna never took a single moment together for granted. They made every moment count and enjoyed every step of their lives together. They didn’t fight and instead talked out their differences of opinion as equals. Most importantly, they listened to each other and respected each other to the utmost degree. Dan and Donna also spent every second they could together, enjoying each other’s company to the utmost degree as best friends, partners, and husband and wife. Similarly, Uncle Dan never passed up an opportunity to spend time with his family. Whether planning July 4th scavenger hunts, grilling out, hosting celebration parties, attending his father’s WWII reunions, building pergolas, teaching me how to fish, etcetera, Dan was always committed to his family.
For me, that commitment helped me survive the passing of my father five years ago—which brings me to another quality that Uncle Dan embodied. He was always encouraging and supportive. Even while wrestling with the loss of his own brother, Dan poured his strength into me. He was my rock and stood by me through my anger, sadness, emptiness, and pain—supporting me down to the most minute detail of how to respond to others regarding my dad’s death by providing me with a post-it note to carry in the palm of my hand with phrases to repeat. He thought for me when my mind was too numb to think for itself. Yet being the educator he was, he encouraged me to the point where I was then able to stand on my own.
That being said, I still need my Uncle Dan. While I have come to accept the loss of my father, it is particularly difficult to know that he will not be present at my wedding. Just one week before Dan’s passing, I called him crying. It all caught up to me and I was in a panic, at a loss for how to make it through the wedding. As he had done so many times before, he talked to me in his calm, steady, reassuring yet compassionate voice that I could make it, reminding me that my father would be happy and want it that way.
Admittedly, it will be much harder to be joyous at our wedding in two short weeks. Always supportive of me and eager to honor my father, Uncle Dan had agreed to ring chimes at the commencement of the wedding leading a moment of silence in my dad’s memory. Now Zac and Zeb have agreed to carry the torch. And when the chimes ring, we will not only be remembering my father’s passing but also Uncle Dan’s. And then we will celebrate John’s and my union, out of respect for Dan and his relationship to Aunt Donna. And our promise to Uncle Dan is that we will never take for granted even a single moment together.
Thus, Uncle Dan’s legacy is this: To love your partner and family fully…to strive for knowledge…to be strong yet compassionate…to nurture those in need… to work hard and achieve success…to measure such success by looking at those surrounding you and those affected by you…to make a lasting impression on even just one life…to be active in living…and to always be encouraging—even in dark times…
And although the world is definitively much darker without Dan’s physical presence, his life continues to shine bright in our hearts and memories.
Dan was more than a brother-in-law. I thought of him as my brother. Anytime I needed something he was always available for advice or more often he was physically there to help me - repair the fence, replace the cracked tile, reset the sliding bathroom door, repair the ceiling and walls, build french drains, and the list goes on and on. He was never afraid to tackle a job head on and he never seemed to get frustrated or angry when a problem would arise. He would just try an idea and if it didn't work he would try something else until the job got finished.
He was so gentle and caring. If he ever thought that he could help anyone with anything, he just did it, never seeking gratitude or recognition for his efforts.
Dan was a marvelous educator. He encouraged his students to become the best they could be and to always continue the learning process. Many times former students would come up to him and thank him for teaching and encouraging them to pursue their goals.
He was a family man. His family meant everything to him. He was there supporting his sons, Zac and Zeb, in their many endeavors, and he was so proud of the fine young men they grew up to become. He was willing to move for Donna to pursue her doctorate degree, and then move again once she had attained that degree. He was a great help to both his mother, Mary, and our mother, Lola. If ever they needed anything, Dan and Donna were right there to lend a hand.
He and Donna always extended a warm welcome to family gatherings at their home. Dan would grill all morning to prepare for those wonderful and delicious family dinners. Oh, how we all enjoyed those ribs, brisket, fajitas, hamburgers and hot dogs he would so generously and graciously prepare!
Dan enjoyed little children. He would always welcome one to sit on his lap or talk to them about their favorite thing to do. He created a special scavenger hunt this past July 4th. He designed and planned a hunt where every child could participate in some way no matter how old or how young. Each one had a job and he taught them how to look for clues to find the treasure. At the end of the hunt was the surprise of special coins for each child to find.
He and Donna were such a great team. They tackled everything together - the many projects in the remodeling of their house, the landscaping around their beautiful home, and the holiday celebrations. It was so natural to say we were going to Donna and Dan's, or Donna and Dan are starting to do this..., or Donna and Dan were coming to help with this... I still catch myself referring to Donna and Dan as a team because they were always help-mates to each other. Wherever one was, the other was right there too.
He was so excited when Zeb and Shelly announced the upcoming arrival of their first child. When he found out he was going to be a grandfather he immediately went out and planted several different fruits around the back yard. The plan was that there would be something to pick and eat when he took this grandchild for their "little walks together." He wanted something growing no matter what the season might be. He would have been a very special grandfather.
There is a hole in our family without Dan in it. It is hard to understand why he was taken from us, but we can find strength and peace in the Lord when reminded about the following verse "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." My heart is broken and I am going to miss him greatly, but all I have to do is see his handiwork in everything he touched and I will remember the wonderful person he was.
Donna, Zac, Zeb, Shelly and Baby Zanowiak, you are Dan's beloved family and his legacy. I see a part of Dan shining through all of you.
We only got to know Dan for a few years before he left this world but it was time that we will think back on fondly. When we first met Dan and Donna, we were happy that Shelly was marrying into a very loving and caring family. It was obvious that Dan and Donna were great role models. It has also been fun seeing the projects that Dan and Donna helped Zeb and Shelly with at their home in Houston.
We are really sad that Dan won’t be there in person when we all have a new grandson but we feel certain that he will be there in spirit.
One of our favorite sayings is
"When someone thinks you’re special
You walk a little lighter
And smile a little brighter"
Since Dan thought everyone was special, when we think of him we should walk a little lighter and smile a little brighter.
Jack and Lisa Smith
I was fortunate to get to know Dan and Donna very well when we moved to Edmond in 2001, after being married only a year to their nephew, Jonathan. Jonathan moved to Edmond earlier than me and lived with Dan and Donna until I arrived. There was never any question he would stay there because to Dan, that’s what family does for each other. Jonathan enjoyed his time there so much. When we moved into our first house in Edmond, we called Dan frequently for help and advice on home projects. As first time homeowners, there were lots of questions, most of them pretty dumb questions, but no question was a dumb question to Dan. His availability and willingness to help was always apparent.
Dan and Donna opened their home to us and gladly shared their food, their experiences, and their laughter. We didn’t have any immediate family near, and they welcomed us into theirs with open arms. We had many a conversation around their kitchen table and under their pergola about any and every topic: sports, politics, taxes, family, marriage, the list goes on. When we ate together, he always toasted my favorite two word toast, “To Family.” Over the years, we grew to depend on Dan’s experience and advice for more than just home projects. His advice helped us decide which car to purchase, he helped us with family matters, and his example and advice on relationships strengthened our marriage.
As newlyweds, our relationship with Dan and Donna no doubt changed our marriage permanently. I remember one conversation around their table where Dan said that it’s important to think about how you talk to your spouse, that when spouses use the word “should” with each other, it changes the dynamic. That “should” is a parenting term, and spouses are partners so that choice of vocabulary changes the equal plane of your relationship and puts one party on the defensive. That piece of advice was timely for our marriage. It was one of the many nuggets of marital advice Dan gave that improved and continues to improve our marriage. Dan and Donna’s marriage was and is an inspiration. There were many parallels between our life path and Dan and Donna’s. Dan moved with Donna and supported her as she got her doctorate, and Jonathan did the same while I pursued my law degree. We both preferred staying in to going out. We both loved working on projects together. Because of our parallels, Dan and Donna really became our role models. We are lucky to have learned so much from their experiences and are especially lucky that they were always so willing to share their experiences and lives with us. We will continue to be inspired by their mutual respect, their friendship, and their devotion to each other.
When we moved from Edmond two years ago, nothing really changed with our relationship. When we returned to visit them, it was as if we didn’t skip a beat. That’s the thing about Dan and Donna; they are the same day in and day out---genuine and authentic. We were fortunate to have spent this past Labor Day with Dan and Donna in D.C. During the day, the four of us went around together visiting the monuments and museums. We had many good conversations and even more laughs to add to our memory bank. We will always treasure that weekend.
Dan and Donna did so many things for us for which we are so grateful: allowing Jonathan to live with them, all the advice from marriage to water softeners to how to build our own pergola, listening deliberately and without judgment then offering thoughtful and patient suggestions, hosting a wonderful law school graduation party for me (and I’m not even technically family---I’m an outlaw), offering support when it was not always forthcoming from other avenues…I can’t begin to list all their acts of kindness. But the most remarkable thing about them, and the one thing that meant the most was that each act of kindness was always performed so willingly and effortlessly. Dan did kind things because he didn’t know how to act any other way. He did the right thing because it was the right thing to do. It didn’t take effort or deliberation; he just did them. He didn’t do them for recognition or appreciation; there were no strings attached to his kindness. In fact, gratitude made him uncomfortable. I don’t think he ever understood how unique it was that he gave so freely. Jonathan and I often would say, “Thanks, Dan. We owe you.” Or, “Thanks, Dan. We’ll pay you back.” These were the only times I saw Dan get angry or annoyed with us. He’d reply with the phrase so many of us heard, “You don’t owe me. Quit saying that. We’re family. That’s what family does.” I think there would be many more strong families in the world if we all lived that statement. Everyone should be so fortunate to know a man who actively walks the walk that most others merely talk.
We love you, Dan. We’ll miss you. We’ll continue to support Donna, Zac, and Zeb. We’ll share stories about you with your grandchildren so they’ll know what an extraordinary man you were. We’ll carry on your legacy by treating each other with respect and enjoying our moments together, by being gentle and kind to all we meet, by being thoughtful and deliberate with the words we speak, and by leaving the people we encounter better people, as you have left us.
“I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
~William Penn
I also wanted to post some of the memories that stand out the most about Uncle Dan:
• Accidentally running into his beloved fence with Zeb’s dirt bike (the last dirt bike ride I’ve taken);
• When living with Dan and Donna, waking up to Dan making his peanut butter crackers for the day after his morning work out;
• That they always owned waterbeds;
• His fascination with lady statues (scantily clad, that is);
• His t-shirt collection, his M.C. Hammer pants, and his vast array of Hawaiian shirts;
• His relationship with Peter Vella;
• His specialties: ribs, pico de gallo, and the pasta concoction;
• How he loved the Astros (even when he had no reason);
Knowing you only though the glowing comments from your newphew, Dan left an amazing legacy of love. God uses special people like him to make huge impacts on the people around him. It sounds to me that Dan Zanowiak was a great, great man. We mourn for your loss.
I was fortunate enough to have Mr. Z during his last term at Santa Fe (2003-04). He was a wonderful teacher, always excited about teaching us pre-calc! I'm so sorry to hear he has passed on. God Bless.
I met Mr. Zanowiak through his wonderful family in the 80's. From the first day I met him, he always exuded concern and friendship and was a genuine all-around good guy. I wish to send my condolences and love to all of the family and hope everyone knows what a great man Mr. Zanowiak was, his legacy will live on through his family and all of the students he touched. Kevin Butler
Today, while just killing time and for no particular reason, I did a search for Dan Zanowiak on the internet to look up an old friend. I could not believe it when I saw that he had recently passed on. Dan and I were best friends in high school. We lost touch with one another soon after graduation. The last time we saw one another was at our 20th reunion. I feel like I just lost my best friend even after all these years. While watching the memorial video, I thought about our adventures in high school. While nothing we did was too outrageous, they were still good memories that I haven’t thought about in years. Thank you for the video. Dan obviously turned out to be a good man just like the kid he was when we were in high school. My condolences and best wishes to Dan’s family and thanks again for the video.
Billy Winkler
Sam Rayburn High 1966
It's 5 days until Christmas and I'm sitting here tonight thinking about my Uncle Dan. The end of September and all of October were horrible and shocking. November was O.K. As the days are nearing Christmas, I am thinking more and more of my Uncle Dan. As we all do, I am thinking of the family I will see and the good times we will have and realizing that he won't be here. I still can't believe it. Do you sometimes wake up from a good night's rest and think "maybe it was all a bad dream"? I picture Uncle Dan in his usual place after Christmas dinner - in one of the recliners in Grandmother's living room - all snuggled up in a blanket. He was the only one of the men I could ever remember covering up in a blanket. When I eat my piece of coconut pie this year, I won't be hearing him say, "Here, Kristi, I guess I'll let you go first...". We loved our coconut pie. I miss him. The hole he has left is huge. We will never be the same....but, maybe we will be better for knowing him and the things he taught us: gentleness, gratitude, kindness, humility, humor, the importance of family, generosity, passion for learning and so much more. I miss him...we miss him...we are not alone...
Post a Comment