Edmund A. Zack

Forest City, Pennsylvania

January 20, 1931 - August 3, 2024

Edmund A. Zack Obituary

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Edmund A. “Bucky” Zack(Zajaczkowski). Bucky was born in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania on January 20, 1931 to the late Frank and Victoria Zajaczkowski and raised a devout Catholic.

Bucky was extremely proud of his upbringing in Nanticoke and was a wonderful brother to his siblings Arlene, Vicki, Amy, Cecilia, Regina, Raymond and Frank. He was preceded in death by his parents and all of his siblings except for his beloved sister Arlene Paliscak whom he still affectionately referred to as “Chubby”. In addition to his immediate family, Ed is survived by many nieces and nephews whom he adored. As a child, Ed loved western films starring Buck Jones, earning him the lifelong nickname “Bucky”.

Bucky’s athletic accomplishments were remarkable. As a stellar pitcher at Nanticoke High School, Bucky led his team to two league championships in 1948 & 1949 and also served as the quarterback on the high school football team, leading Nanticoke to a Thanksgiving Day 1949 League Championship win against Plymouth High School. During the summer of ‘49, Bucky pitched the American Legion Post 305 to the league championship and also the NEPA American Legion Championship where he was named most valuable player by Coach Kelly.

In the fall of ‘49, Bucky accepted a football scholarship to the National Agricultural College, now Delaware Valley University, in Doylestown, PA where he quickly became the starting QB. After a knee injury ended his football career, he signed a contract with the then Brooklyn Dodgers. After signing with the Dodgers, he was first assigned to the Hazleton Mountaineers and was then transferred to the Hornell, NY team. There, Bucky’s outstanding pitching led the team to the PONY League Championship. During his second year with the league he went to Billings, Montana and after four weeks was sent to Danville, Illinois to play for the Danville Dodgers, again pitching the team to a championship.

In January 1952, Ed was drafted and joined the United States Army where he subsequently proudly fought in the Korean War. While in Korea, he earned The Combat Infantry Badge, Korean Service Medal with three bronze stars, National Defense Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. He was honorably discharged from the United States Army in 1954 as a Staff Sergeant.

Upon return from Korea, Bucky enrolled at the Bloomsburg State Teachers College, now Bloomsburg University. Due to his professional baseball career, he was not allowed to play college ball, but did become a student coach. It was at Bloom that Bucky met the love of his life, Michalene “Micki” Bilak. A box of love letters from Bucky to Micki written during the summer of 1955 are a sweet reminder of what true love looks like. Micki and Bucky would have celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary this November.

After graduation from Bloomsburg, Micki and Ed built a life for themselves in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where they spent their careers as educators and where they raised their two beloved children, Edmund Michael and Kathryn Anne. Nothing gave Ed greater joy than recognizing the accomplishments of his two amazing children. Ed spent 16 years as a Biology teacher and 20 years as a school counselor with the Bensalem Township School District, retiring in 1993. While teaching, Ed continued his education by earning a Master’s Degree in Biology from the Pennsylvania State University and another in Counseling from Trenton State College. During his tenure at Bensalem, Ed also served as a winning baseball coach for the Bensalem Owls. Ed led the Owls in several AAAA championships. Subsequently, in 1999 Bucky was inducted into the Bensalem High School Hall of Fame for his success as a coach.

While Bensalem was their home, Ed and Micki made it a point to stay connected to family back in northeastern PA. In 1969 they were fortunate enough to purchase a cottage on Wrighter Lake near Thompson. Weekend trips to “the mountains” quickly became commonplace for the Zack family. After retirement, the cottage became their full time residence thanks to the craftsmanship of their son, Eddie Zack. After retirement, Bucky and Micki spent their winters as “snow birds”, eventually finding a place they loved in The Villages, Florida. In addition to being snowbirds, they spent many vacations in and around the United States with family and dear friends. Retirement also provided Ed with the time to focus on the game of golf which he truly enjoyed. Monday nights were spent at Lake Lorain golf course in the Monday Night Men’s League. Those of you who played golf with Bucky on Mondays and in the travel group on Tuesdays probably learned much of your golf etiquette from him; You had to be perfectly still during his backswing and could NEVER move your shadow while he was putting! His golf buddies also provided a venue for Bucky to share countless jokes, he could recall many clean and some not so clean jokes without missing a line and found great joy in making others laugh.

Ed was a phenomenal husband, father, educator, friend, athlete, and coach, however his greatest joy and passion came from becoming a grandfather or “Jaje” as he was affectionately known. Jaje’s grandchildren, Michael and Paige, were truly the light of his life. There was never a sporting event, recital, concert or activity that Bucky missed for his grandkids. His guidance and support has led both Michael and Paige to rewarding careers in education, following in their Jaje’s footsteps. One of his favorite activities while his grandkids were growing up was to sit around a campfire overlooking his beloved Wrighter Lake, looking up at the stars and making predictions about where all of the “blinkers'' were flying to and from. Gram and Jaje’s house on the lake always had an open door policy for any of Mike and Paige’s friends, you are always welcome at the lake! Jaje was also known as the “Candyman” on Wrighter Lake, taking daily rides on his ATV visiting with neighbors, picking flowers and berries for his wife and passing out treats to children around the lake, an activity which brought him great joy.

Ed’s family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Jerry Tregaskis for the compassionate companionship shown to him as his health declined as well as the Thompson Township volunteer ambulance crew for their dedicated and professional service through many medical calls the last few years. We would also be remiss if we did not note that Micki provided better care to her dear husband in his final years than anyone could have imagined which kept them together in their home until the very end.

While we are heartbroken to say goodbye to such a wonderful man, we are grateful for the nearly 94 years in which Bucky Zack made our world a better place. For those who have taken the time to read this far, we leave you with one last lesson from the Coach; Take time to appreciate those you love and the natural beauty that surrounds you, both of which were things that our husband, father and Jaje did so well. Sit at the water’s edge with “MN”, Mother Nature, as Bucky so often did, crack open a Budweiser, pour a shot of apricot brandy and join us in celebrating a life well lived.

A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday at 10am in St. James Church, 361 Great Bend Tpk, Pleasant Mount. Friends may visit at the church from 9am until Mass time. Interment will be in St. Mary's Russian Cemetery, Thompson.

Arrangements are entrusted to the Kevin M. Lesjack Funeral Home, 513 Main Street, Forest City.