John Paul Zelenka (Ret. Usa)

LTC. John Paul Zelenka (Ret. USA), 69, of Florence, passed away on Sunday, January 26, 2020 at his residence. Mr. Zelenka was born in Pittsburgh, PA a son of the late Louis Paul Zelenka and Ruth Classen Zelenka.He was a graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in electronics and was a member of the Terrapins football team.He received his Master’s of Occupation Therapy from Western Michigan University.John retired as an Occupational Therapist at McLeod Regional Medical Center where he established the Work Recovery Center.He was a retired Lt. Colonel of the US Army Medical Specialist Corps and had also served in the US Navy as an Operations Specialist.He was a regional field representative for the US Military Academy at West Point and was trained as a Surgeons Extender for treatment of burn patients in military hospitals.John was also a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church where he was a lector. Surviving are his wife, Vicky Rich Zelenka and a sister, Gretchen Z. Hall of PA. Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, www.heart.org or to the Florence Area Humane Society, P. O. Box 4808, Florence, SC29502. A Mass of Christian Burial will be said at 10:00 am Thursday, January 30, 2020 at St. Anthony Catholic Church.Burial will follow at the Florence National Cemetery with full military honors directed by Stoudenmire-Dowling Funeral Home.The family will receive friends after the service at the residence. Please send messages to the family at the obit section of www.stoudenmiredowling.com.