Gene Zakarias

According to his children, first and foremost Gene Zakarias was a phenomenal father. His children are very grateful for his devoted care and guidance throughout their many years together and his family considers fatherhood to be one of the greatest successes of his life. If he could've spent every day golfing or fishing, he certainly would have done so. He always included his family and friends in pursuit of these activities and created many fond and cherished memories in that. Gene was very special to many people for his warm and charismatic spirit and he will be missed deeply.

Gene was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan on June 1, 1937 to John and LaRue (Crippen) Zakarias. Named after his Uncle Fred - Eugene Frederick Zakarias aka to many as Zak for short.

Gene and his older brother John quickly met with tragedy in their young lives as their father, John, was killed in a car accident when Gene was just 6 months old. Suddenly widowed with two children, Gene's mother moved her family to her father's farm in nearby Bangor, where Gene's grandpa, Bob Crippen, raised him like a father, teaching him the value in hard work and the importance of family.

Gene attended Bangor Schools growing up, where he was liked for his mischievous sense of humor and fun-loving personality. He became a standout athlete at Bangor High, playing football, baseball and running track. He was very competitive and obviously a type A personality. Bright, smart, witty, charming and a good looking kid - Gene worked hard to overcome difficult financial situations and family dynamics. He struggled with health issues from a young age, battling a case of rheumatic fever and spending weeks hospitalized unable to attend school. Fully recovered, when he wasn't at school or working on the farm, you'd find him down at the Black River in Bangor, pole in hand, catching some dinner.

After he graduated from high school, Gene met his future wife Nancy Ryder - introduced by a mutual friend. They quickly began dating in 1956, young kids in love. Gene wanted Nancy to come with him to Texas as he looked for work closer to his brother John. Gene went to Texas without Nancy for a brief time - but wrote her every day until he returned. They were married, on May 23, 1959. Gene and Nancy spent 48 years together - through good and bad and everything in between. Gene developed an extremely close relationship with Nancy's father, Roger, as well as her siblings. He spent much time socializing with the Ryder kids - golfing, hunting, bowling and holidays.

The job that led Gene to a career in the Metals industry was at Midwest Aluminum. Getting his foot in the door in the plant, taking college courses at WMU at night, he diligently worked his way up into a sales position. He moved on, post Midwest merger transactions, to some larger organizations including ALCAN Aluminum and Amerimax.

Gene and Nancy were blessed with two wonderful children, their son Peter, and a year and a half later, with their daughter Julie Ann. Gene was a proud father, and having never known his own dad, he made extraordinary efforts to be active in all the kids' endeavors - spending endless amounts of time and money on instruction and equipment. Gene coached many of Julie's softball teams in Little League, and never missed a game when she was in high school or college. He was equally active with his son Peter who became his outdoorsman protégé. Gene would take the kids fishing and golfing with him often. Pete and Gene took many hunting and fishing trips with their dogs Lady, Katie and Ellie. The boys often went to the Friday night Sprint Car races whenever they could find one close by. The family loved to get over to Arlington for the horse races and spent time together watching the Derby, Preakness and Belmont for many years.

Gene was a lifelong, passionate golfer, and when he wasn't at home or work, you'd be sure to find him on the course, the driving range, or the practice putting green. Over the years he was a member of many different courses, from Lake Doster Golf Club in Plainwell, to The Moors in Portage, Island Hills in Centreville, and even Cedar Lake and Spring Meadows in Indiana, where his business travels often took him. He played on countless golf leagues, and enjoyed several fantastic golf trips to the Phoenix, Arizona area, and Pinehurst, North Carolina, one of America's greatest golf resorts. A close second to golf, Gene spent the rest of his discretionary time fishing on the dreamboat he had custom made. His favorite spot was up in northern Michigan, Big Bay de Nac.

Gene worked extremely hard to provide for his family and give his children all the financial advantages he did not have growing up. He and Nancy purchased several household vehicles their kids, paid the entirety for their college educations, and provided substantial financial support to both as they struggled in the beginning stages of their own careers and as they purchased their first homes.

Gene battled numerous health issues in his life. As a result of his rheumatic fever, years of smoking and type A personality - he had open heart surgery at the age of 37, and struggled with related heart disease for the remainder of his life. He always made a point to play in the Zipper Open charity golf outings for heart disease research. He also played every year in Elkhart, Indiana at the American Cancer Society charity outing prior to his cancer diagnosis.

Gene had planned to say goodbye to his sales career, and retire when he turned 70. He and Nancy would spend three months in the wintertime in Arizona, he told her, where he'd probably play golf every day. Unfortunately, he never realized his retirement plans - in March of 2007, Gene was diagnosed with cancer. After a brutal ordeal and struggle, he died on Monday, May 7, 2007, at the age of 69, surrounded by his loving family. His wife, Nancy cared for him relentlessly through his several health issues for many many years.

Gene was a devoted father, partner and loyal friend. His family loved him deeply and is grateful for having this very special man and spirit in their lives each day. He will be greatly missed.

Visit with Gene's family and friends and view his life story film on Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. and Thursday from noon until 1 p.m. at Life Story Funeral Homes, RDMG, Portage, 5975 Lovers Lane where a funeral service will be held on Thursday at 1 p.m. Gene was preceded in death by his parents and his brother John. Members of Gene's family are his wife Nancy; his son Peter with wife Katherine currently of Troy, Missouri; his daughter Julie Ann Zakarias of Chicago, Illinois; aunt Janet Beckwith; niece Debbie; his brother-in-laws Bob and Bill Ryder and the 3 generations the Ryder family; his good friends Gar Warlick, Wayne Marks, Ed Wiegand, Jim Fredericks and Bob Acker. Gene's family wishes to thank loyal friends and business associates for their support and friendship especially Don Cardin, John Postle, Ray Barnes and many others. They also express true gratitude to Christie Slater for her patience and care, and Aluminum Line Products Company including Jim Guerin and the entire staff for their commitment and support during the past months. Please visit Gene's memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can read his Life Story, share a memory or photo, sign his memory book online before coming to the funeral home or make a memorial donation to Pheasants Forever, Evans Scholar Fund, American Cancer Society -Elkhart, Indiana Chapter, or the Natural Resources Defense Fund.