Obituary of Mary Jo Zanowiak

Mary Jo (Johnson) Zanowiak was born on March 24,1926 to Joe E. and Dovie Johnson of Rotan, Texas. She left this earth with her family near on September 12, 2012 Preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Grace (Bruce) Spears, her husband, Paul, and sons, Paul Jr. and Dan. Survived by siblings Walter (Wilma) Johnson of Arlington, Texas, Bobbie Rhea (Gerald) Paden of Lubbock, Texas, and Norma Sue Johnson of Arlington, Texas. Also survived by her son, Larry (Janey) Zanowiak of Mineral Wells, Texas; grandchild Szalan (John) Boardman great grandchildren Zane and Campbell of Sugar Land, Texas; grandchild Collyn (Chase) Brown great grandchildren Alyssa and Cade of Highland Village, Texas; grandchild Jonathan (Mindi) Zanowiak great grandchildren Bo and Kate of Amarillo, Texas; Paul’s daughter, Kendall (John) Antonelli, great grandchild Everett of Austin, Texas; Dan’s wife, Donna Zanowiak, of Edmond, Oklahoma; grandchild Dr. Zac Zanowiak of Edmond, Oklahoma; grandchild Zeb (Shelly) Zanowiak great grandchild Cale of Frisco, Texas. Mary had a love of music and exhibited the gift of service throughout her 86 years. The first seventeen years, she began singing along her church family within the Church of Christ in Rotan, Texas. Mary started her band performances at an early age with the Rotan Kindergarten Band and finished school playing the cornet in high school. She met the love of her life, Paul, at John Tarleton College in Stephenville, Texas. God’s providential hand brought together a 17 year old girl and a 20 year old soldier from Connecticut, to Texas in the Army Specialize Training Program (ASTP). Paul and Mary were married in June of 1944 in Paris, Texas, before his departure to the European Campaign of WWII. Their marriage would continue for 55 years. While separated by war, she returned to her family in Lubbock and worked until her husband’s return in 1946. Mary was a supportive wife while Paul was earning his degrees at Texas Tech and a nurturing mother to Paul (’46), Dan (’48), and Larry (’50). Their new home was in Sweetwater, Texas by 1950, and she loved her family and the church. She was a Cub Scout den mother (for all three sons), a room mother, and the gracious host to many church fellowships as wife of a deacon and later of an elder. Later she again worked outside the home as a church secretary. In 1962, the family moved to Pasadena, Texas as Paul began his job overseeing the mechanical construction at the NASA facility. There the bond of many friendships in God’s family began that have lasted 50 plus years. In 1966, Mary and Paul moved to Mineral Wells, Texas as Paul had taken a job working for his brother, Peter Zanowiak. The joy of singing continued here, as Mary was a member of “The Happy Singers,” a church group that sang to comfort those in bereavement. Opportunity to share God’s love was shown as she and Paul sponsored students coming to Fort Wolter’s helicopter school. The student-pilots from Vietnam and Thailand stayed in their home on weekends. They loved Mary & Paul and the hospitality shown to them. She has continued through the years to receive many phone calls of love and concern from them for their ‘American Mom’. She was also a volunteer in The Meals on Wheels Program and The Goodfellows Charity. Eleven years later, she and Paul returned to the Houston area and worked with the eldest son in his dental practice. Her son, Dr. Z of The Smile Store, incorporated his mother’s loving smile and personal caring heart in interacting with his patients as she worked the front office. In 1987, they moved to Country Place in Pearland, Texas, where she excelled in singing with the ‘Country Time Singers’ and playing the ukulele in the ‘Ragtimer’s’ for the last 24 years. Thank you to Silverado Memory Care Hospice for your loving service and thank you to Sonia, who was the heart and hands that served my mother in her last days. A visitation for Mary will be held on Friday evening, September 14, 2012 from 6:00 until 8:00 pm at Clayton Funeral Home, 5530 W. Broadway, Pearland, TX 77581. The funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 15, 2012 at 11:00 am at Clayton Funeral Home with Everett Hysten officiating. Interment will take place on Tuesday, September 18, 2012 at 10:00 am at Houston National Cemetery.