John Thomas Zvara

John Thomas (Jack) Zvara April 26, 1943 - August 30, 2013 John, 70, passed away peacefully Friday. John will be dearly missed by his wife, Glenda, daughter, Julie Zvara, grandchildren Kayla Boardman and Thomas Boardman, step-daughter Tammy Banna-Conway (Craig) and step-grandchildren Jerry Banna, David Banna and James Monko. John is also survived by two sisters, Kathleen (Terry) Haney, Carole (Martin) Ramirez and three brothers, James (Kathryn) Zvara, Donald (Suzanne) Zvara, and Robert (Debra) Zvara and by eleven nieces and nephews. John was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, the son of John and Mary Zvara, where he worked in the steel mill as a sheet metal fabricator. John served in the U.S. Navy from 1960-1964, serving his country proudly on the “USS Shangri-La” and the “USS Enterprise.” John actively participated in the “Bay of Pigs” conflict. His overseas tours included ports of calls to Italy and France. After high school John married Linda Bodnar, and upon discharge from the Navy, they moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, where he began his career as a journeyman electrician. John owned and operated Kisco Plumbing, Golden State Enterprises and Creative Electric. In 1984 John relocated to Tacoma, WA where he worked for Economy Electric, retiring after 20 years of service. Upon retirement, John spent time both in Washington State and Arizona, where he worked on various remodel projects. Anyone that knew John, knew that he always had a project….some days it was digging a pond, other days it was helping a neighbor with their project, remodeling a home or just doing “tractor work.” John loved his truck and tractor. The truck held all his remodeling tools, while the tractor was just plain fun! He managed to dig ditches, uproot tree stumps, move stacks of debris and dig ponds to give ducks and fish a good environment. One of his favorite things to do was to stock the pond with fish so that children could have fun fishing. John enjoyed fishing and boating, but most of all he enjoyed his family and friends. He was the first to build the campfire and the first to help a neighbor. He loved his quad for exploring, but he also loved it for hauling the tools needed on the newest project and sharing it with the children. Services held on Saturday, September 7, 2013 at at 10:00 am, Grace Bible Church, 19280 N 99th Avenue, Sun City, AZ 85375, 623-972-6414, reception immediately following. In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made in John’s honor to Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center, Cancer Transplant Institute, 10460 N. 92nd Streeet, Scottsdale, AZ 85258, 480-323-1378.