Donald F. Zyriek, 79, a resident of Pasadena, Md., died July 6, 2011 at University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.
He was born May 1, 1932 in Summerdale and was raised in Fairhope.
He served in the U.S. Navy from 1949-1970 retiring as a senior chief petty officer. He was assigned to the submarine USS Trumpetfish and to the nuclear submarine USS Lafayette. He also was a nuclear simulator instructor stationed at Balston Spa, N.Y.
He was a member of the American Legion in Lusby, Md., since 1972 and a member of the Fleet Reserve since 1963.
His second career was as a nuclear engineer for Baltimore, Gas & Electric until his retirement in 1992, after 25 years of service. He worked for Constellation Energy as a consultant from 1992-1997.
He was preceded in death by brother, Gary Zyriek.
Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Nancy Virginia Zyriek; three children, Nancy (Billy) Cusic of Leonardtown, Donald Frank (Lisa) Zyriek II of Tempe, Ariz., and Ashlye Vitale (Gerardo) of Pasadena; brothers and sisters, Anna Bell of Houston; Bobby (Karen) Zyriek of Spanish Fort; Jeanette Zyriek of Tucson, Ariz.; Cecile (Gibson) Jones of Baton Rouge, La.; sister-in-law, Maria Zyriek of Hackensack, N.J.; and grandchildren, Valerie Nancy Zyriek of Pasadena, Donald Frank Zyriek III and Elizabeth Anne Zyriek of Tempe, Ariz., Giuseppe Gerardo Vitale and Isabella Lee Vitale of Pasadena.
Visitation begins at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 16 at Wolfe-Bayview Funeral Home, Fairhope with funeral services at 3 p.m. from the funeral home chapel. Interment will follow at Memory Gardens of Fairhope.
The family requests memorial donations be made to the American Legion at the Arick L Lore Post 274, 11820 H.G. Trueman Road, Lusby, MD 20657, or the Fleet Reserve at Fleet Reserve Association, 125 N. West St, Alexandria, VA 22314.
Arrangements are by Wolfe-Bayview Funeral Homes & Crematory Inc., Fairhope.
