ZMOLEK, John Ernest 1947-2014

ZMOLEK, DHUYVETTER, FRENCH, DESHAW

Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 1/24/2015 at 23:24:34

[Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Sunday, July 27, 2014]

DIKE - John Ernest Zmolek, 66, of San Mateo, Calif., formerly of Dike, died of a glioblastoma brain tumor on Sunday, July 20, 2014, under hospice care at the VA Hospital, Palo Alto, Calif.

He was born Sept. 6, 1947, in Waterloo, son of Donald and Luella Zmolek. He married Sandra Dhuyvetter in 1987. They divorced in 1996.

He graduated from Dike High School in 1965, and then from the University of Northern Iowa. He was president of his fraternity at UNI and majored in French. After being drafted he served the U.S. Army in NATO Headquarters in Belgium. He returned to UNI to pursue another degree in German and then worked for Wrangler Jeans subsidiaries in Malta, France, Germany and Belgium. He then moved to California in 1981. He retired after working at SAP for 18 years in 2012.

Survived by a son, Eric Zmolek of San Mateo, Calif., his mother Luella Zmolek of Cedar Falls; three siblings, Fred Zmolek (Donna) of Dike, Mary Zmolek of New Hartford and Anette French of Grand Junction, Colo; and many nieces and nephews.

Preceded in death by his father, Donald Zmolek; a sister Donna DeShaw; and a brother Louis Zmolek.

Family will receive guests for celebration of Johns life at the family farm from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug 3.

Although John had only one son he would always joke about how he had many more as he always kept an open door for Eric’s friends for over two decades. John had always inspired Eric to study foreign languages, and was able to visit his son working in Japan two times in the two years before his passing.

Black Hawk Obituaries maintained by Karen De Groote.
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