David J. Zelinski

David J Zelinski (Dave), 68, of Greenville, Wisconsin passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on Tuesday August 6, 2024. Dave was born on August 12, 1955, in Appleton, Wisconsin to James J. and Mary J. (Otto) Zelinski.

Dave graduated from Appleton West in 1974 and started working at Great Northern Corporation in 1978. He was a loyal employee for 43 years, retiring in 2021. Dave married the love of his life, Annette Loehning, on April 22, 1987, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

If you knew Dave, you knew he loved dogs, and dogs loved him. In his spare time Dave enjoyed time with his family and friends, taking care of his lawn, watching the Packers and Badgers Football, Nascar, attending Iola and Appleton car shows, along with the various community parades and firework events. His pride and joy was his 1931 Model A.

Dave is survived by his wife, Annette, and dog Emma; a sister Barb (John) Kudrna and their children Jeff Kudrna and Kelly Anderson; a sister Carol (Jim) VanHeertum, and their children Sarah Classen, Lori Capek and Steve VenHeertum; an aunt, Helen Manser; a sister and brother-in-law, Wendy (Mark) Hamilton and their children Melissa Hamilton and Jennifer Jackson; a sister and brother-in-law, Polly (Tim) Schmidt and their children Rachael Schraufnagel and Andrea Schmidt; a brother and sister-in-law Lonnie (Pat) Loehning, and their children Paul, Tony and Sara Loehning. He is also survived by 21 great-nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents Jim and Mary Zelinski, aunt and uncle Tom and Dorothy Deeg, and cousin, Doug Deeg.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday August 17, 2024, from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM at the Wichmann Tri County Chapel, located at 1592 Oneida Street in Fox Crossing. A reception will follow the visitation.

The family would like to give a very special thank you to the ThedaCare nurses, Tess, Luke, Kathleen, and Carolyn, for their support during this difficult time.

Also, many thanks to Polly Schmidt for attending the numerous doctor appointments and Wendy Hamilton for their support through Dave’s cancer journey.