Fallsnewspress.com - MILES FRANK ZITEK

MILES FRANK ZITEK

Loved photography

Miles Frank Zitek, age 94, died peacefully on Feb. 11, 2010.

Mr. Zitek was born on June 28, 1915 to Charles and Mary Zitek and raised with his two older sisters, Helen and Mildred, in Chicago. As a youth he had fond memories of hunting and fishing trips with his family at Fox Lake as well as playing baseball, learning the rudiments of woodworking in shop class and playing the violin in his high school band, which performed throughout Illinois.

Drafted into the Army in 1941, Mr. Zitek became a photographer for the Army Air Force doing aerial mapping of the route for the Al-Can Highway on the west coast and the route for the Burma Road between India and China, as well as aerial reconnaissance over Japan and the South Pacific. After his discharge in 1945, photography remained an important part of his life with his well-worn Leica camera never far from his reach. He moved his family from Chicago to Lansing, MI to manage Lansing Camera and eventually settled in Cuyahoga Falls, where for many years he was the regional manager and buyer for the camera department at O'Neil's (now Macy's). He retired from the company at age 68.

Mr. Zitek married Winnifred Anderson in 1942 and together they had four children. Winnifred passed away in 1975. He married Lenore Stratton in 1979 and a stepson and stepdaughter were added to his family. Lenore passed away in 2008.

He remained active in his retirement years, golfing regularly with his buddies, helping with the yearly harvest of maple syrup, and exploring the back roads of Ohio with his wife. His love of woodworking continued throughout his life, as he made doll beds and toy boxes for his children and grandchildren and beautiful furniture for his home. He became one of the founding members of the North Coast Woodturners in 1986 where he learned to make elegant, finely crafted bowls, mostly out of wood collected from local trees, exhibiting them at the Elements Gallery in Peninsula.

Miles is survived by his children, Dale Zitek (John Chapter) of Colorado, Marc (Chris) Zitek of Denver, Hildy (Tom) Boley of Akron and Kay (Chuck) French of Portland, Ore.; his niece Marianne (Ernst) von Meerwall of Akron; his stepchildren Bill (Dena) Stratton of Pocatello, Idaho and Sue (Mike) Lindsey of Dayton as well as grandchildren, Erik, Krista, Lindsay, Andie, Tom, Meg, Carina; stepgrandchildren, Sandy (deceased), Dawn, Jeff, Andy, Jill, and two great-stepgrandchildren.

A memorial service took place at The First United Methodist Church. The final resting place following cremation was Chestnut Hill Memorial Park in Cuyahoga Falls. Contributions may be made in Mr. Zitek's name to Good Neighbors Inc., 1910 Searl St., P.O. Box 233, Cuyahoga Falls 44222.

Clifford-Shoemaker Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.