Obituary for Ronald Joseph Zaczek
Ronald Joseph James Zaczek of Havre de Grace, MD, U.S. Marine Vietnam veteran and UH1-E helicopter crewchief, author, senior Information Technology program manager, mechanical engineer, and artisan passed way from Agent Orange-related cardiac disease on January 8, 2023, at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. He was 75 years old.
Ron was born August 12, 1947, in Baltimore, MD the only child of the late Joseph S. Zaczek, an enameling supervisor for American Standard, and Bernice “Bertha” (Wegnerowicz) Zaczek, a seamstress and homemaker. Ronald grew up on Bayonne Avenue in Gardenville, playing in the then semi-rural area’s woods and streams.
He was baptized as an infant in the same ceremony at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church as his lifelong best friend, Thomas M. Brooks. Ron and Tom became re-acquainted in the second grade when they spent all day riding the Little Dipper roller coaster at Gwynn Oak Park. Mr. Brooks said: “We both agreed that the physics surrounding the Little Dipper was the same as that of the Big Dipper and the lines were shorter.”
Ron at an early age, was a man who had an unending gift of helping others, compassion to serve and had many accomplishments during his life. When he was just 15 years old, on his way home from school, he witnessed a small child that had crawled into an unattended car and had managed to disengage the brake. The car was careening down the street, much to the child’s increased terror. Ron immediately ran to the car, got in and hit the brake, saving the child.
Ron attended St. Anthony’s Grammar School in Gardenville where his teachers included Sr. Agatha, OSF, his unforgettable eighth grade teacher. Since his SAT scores were reported too late for him to use an NROTC scholarship he had earned, Ron took an early enlistment in the United State Marine Corps before graduating in the top ten percent of Archbishop Curley High School’s first graduating class in 1965.
Ron was so determined to enter the Marine Corps that he purposefully went into the eye test without glasses for fear of rejection. When the doctor was called out of the room, Ron memorized the eye chart, repeating the letters and numbers verbatim when the doctor returned. Ron told Robert Skinder in an interview for Popasmoke, the USMC Combat Helicopter and Tiltrotor Association’s newsletter that “Many years ago, I determined that the spirit of Semper Fi(delis) was going to define my life.” Paul A. Breault, a helicopter crew member in VMO-2 and retired senior financial services executive said: “Ron was a Marine’s Marine, and he was my friend.” Charles Goetz, a colleague at DuPont wrote in an e-mail: “Ron was a consummate Marine. He was living proof that there is no such thing as a former or ex-Marine.”
After boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, where he earned a Rifle Sharpshooter medal and was promoted Private First Class upon graduation, Ron spent a year in helicopter mechanic schools in Memphis, Tenn. On a furlough back in Baltimore, Ron attended a dance at then-College of Notre Dame of Maryland University (now Notre Dame University of Maryland) in 1966 where he met his future wife, Grace. They were “pinned” on the first of three dates over two days before Ron reported to Camp Pendleton, CA. Ron and Grace married in August 1970 and welcomed two sons, Christopher in 1976, and Matthew in 1979.
Following two months further training at Camp Pendelton, Ron was part of an advance detachment of VMO-3, the activated training unit which deployed directly to Vietnam’s Mekong Delta for Operation Deckhouse Five. When VMO-3 re-located to Phu Bai near the imperial city of Hue in northern South Vietnam, Ron was crew chief of UH-1E Victor Tango –12, which he named “The Warsaw Falcon.” Ron flew 393 missions, switching among them from Medevac to gunship missions for his squadron. One of his most notable missions was the Breaker patrol mission, where Ron and his fellow crewchief Jack Acosta were part of a combined crew that made a last-ditch effort which rescued 3 Marines on a hilltop northwest of Khe Sanh under heavy fire. For this mission Ron and Jack were awarded the Bronze Star with a combat “V.”
Returning to the U.S. in January 1968, Ron served 16 months aboard VMO-1 in New River Air Station, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Ron earned his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Mayland, College Park’s then-Glenn L. Martin Institute of Technology. He graduated magna cum laude at the top of his class in 1973 after interning at the U.S. Army’s Harry Diamond Laboratories and Fairchild-Hiller Corporation. Ron earned a master's certificate in Program Management from George Washington University and was a certified Project Management Professional.
Ron’s professional career began in 1973 with E.I. Dupont de Nemours and Company, designing and installing automated systems in Dupont plants across the country. Ram Mouli, a colleague at Dupont and a retired technical advisor said: “.... Ron was a close and special friend for over 30 years. Ron was well organized and the BEST program manager I have known.” Ron accepted a program manager position with Digital Equipment Corporation in 1985 and led high profile projects as DEC evolved to become Compaq, then Hewlett Packard, Inc. He became program manager for several high-profile endeavors, transforming the New York City Department of Corrections’ failing Y2K remediation into a model for the rest of the city’s agencies. Before leaving Hewlett Packard in 2003, Ron designed and initiated development of a computer aided dispatch (9-1-1) system for the New York Police Department.
Ron was a senior Information Technology project and program manager for state, local and the Federal governments, and private industry, specializing in recovery for troubled projects. He retired in 2017 as a project management consultant at the U.S. Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground’s Electronic Warfare and Cyber Program. Sharon McClellan, a colleague at APG, and an Information Technology consultant for the Federal government said in an e-mail: “... Ron was a cherished friend and mentor. His advice and encouragement were invaluable, usually delivered in a blunt yet amusing fashion....”
Despite a successful career and a loving family, Ron struggled with Post Traumatic Stress resulting from his experiences in Vietnam. In 1980, Ron began a decade-long journey of self-discovery through counseling with Thomas L. Murtaugh, Ph.D., team leader at the Veterans Center in Elkton, MD, who would become a lifelong friend. Peter Fanuele, a former U.S. Army drill instructor, financial industry executive and Ron’s close friend for 50 years wrote in an e-mail: “Ron's military service, and its effects on him truly form a definitive example of the sacrifice offered by a combat veteran in defense of his country. We all need to feel deep gratitude for his service and sacrifice.”
Ron documented his struggles with PTSD and in 1994, published his first book, “Farewell, Darkness: A Veteran’s Triumph over Combat Trauma” through the Naval Institute Press. The book received several accolades as a vital tool for veterans and civilians coping with PTSD and trauma. In 1995, both Ron and Grace would work with others to put out his second book, “Soldier’s Heart: Survivors’ Views of Combat Trauma,” a collection of art, poetry, and essays by combat survivors, their families and clinicians all dealing with PTSD. Ron appeared on several radio shows and television programs discussing his mission to assist others and “Farewell, Darkness” was profiled (above the fold) in the Chicago Tribune to favorable reviews. He also provided written testimony on combat survivors’ struggles with PTSD for the U.S. House of Representatives’ VA Health Subcommittee’s “Hearing on PTSD” on March 11, 2004, in response to the subcommittee’s invitation.
Marc Steiner interviewed Ron twice on Marc’s radio show. Ron was part of a panel on November 11, 1997, discussing Vietnam. Ron and Arnold “Skip” Isaacs, foreign correspondent, editor for The Baltimore Sun and author of two books on the Vietnam war spoke with Marc in October 2003 to talk about the Iraq War and combat stress.
In 1996, along with his wife, Ron returned to Vietnam as part of only the second American tour group allowed into the country, to revisit the sites of his missions and continue the healing process. Ron told the Breaker Patrol’s story and spoke of his fervent desire to bring home the remains of the three Marines and a Navy corpsman who already were dead when the VMO-3 crew rescued the three survivors. Lt-Gen G. Ronald Christmas, who earned the Navy Cross as a company commander at the Battle of Hue and host for the tour connected Ron with the Joint Taskforce Full Accounting in Hawai’i. Ron provided JTF-FA with the exact coordinates and topographic location of the rescue. This essential information resulted in all four men being buried in Arlington on May 10, 2005, 38 years to the day of the rescue, once again proving that Marines leave no one behind. Ron told Robert Skinder in 2001 “When I go to meet Chesty on the other side, I can look him in the eye and tell him, “I was Always Faithful.” The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation in 2017 presented him with the Sgt. William Genaust Award for his video about the rescue mission, repatriation of the remains and their burial in Arlington.
On the second of their trips to Vietnam, Ron and Grace met Ms. Le Thí Hanh during their stay in Danang and were impressed with her self-taught English skills. Continuing Ron’s efforts to serve and give back, Ron and Grace, with Ms. Le’s parents’ permission, became adoptive parents to her, providing further educational opportunities, continued support and love for her. Today, Ms. Le holds a senior management position at an exclusive resort in Vietnam.
No matter what professional position he held, Ron remained first, and foremost a Marine. Ron and Grace are members of the Commandant’s Circle at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia, sponsoring exhibits and displays on the Vietnam War. Their current project with the museum is the construction of a “quiet room” to assist visitors in dealing with sometimes overwhelming emotional responses to immersive displays at the museum. Ron volunteered for several years as a docent at the museum, educating and inspiring both the old and young with the history and heritage of his beloved Corps.
Charles Goetz and his wife, Kathy, a nurse practitioner and former Utica College faculty member introduced Ron to skiing and snowmobiling. Chuck said: “Ron spent a week with us one winter and went snowmobiling. When it was time for him to return home, he said it was one of the best vacations he had experienced. I really enjoyed that time together.” Tom Brooks and Ron shared many skiing adventures together, in Killington, VT and Breckenridge, CO.
Ron was a versatile craftsman, extensively remodeling his family’s first house in Elkton, MD and creating large gardens, including a meticulously designed and maintained vegetable plot. He completely renovated a house in the 900 block of Tyson Street in Mount Vernon, designing an interior duct system that preserved the interior walls’ integrity. At his family’s current home in Havre de Grace, Ron designed and managed the installation of an extensive patio and built an enviable wood working shop. He created numerous stained-glass and pottery objects and wood carvings.
Ron was fiercely protective and supportive of his family. Grace said: “He was the passion of my life, and my best friend. He made me feel cherished and safe. In the over 56 years we have known each other, there never was a single dull moment. Ron was creative, imaginative, and charming with an acerbic, often dark sense of humor.” Ron coached Christopher in his prize-winning declamation contests, made sure his sons appreciated classical music and learned to play musical instruments. He was extremely proud of his sons’ Boy Scout Eagle awards and their Eagle projects. He led lively dinner table discussions about Greek and Roman mythology, including the difference between dryads and hamadryads.
Ron strongly advocated with the physicians during Matthew’s care after a devastating auto accident and brain cancer surgery.” Christopher described his father as: “.... a truly remarkable man who never lost his zest for life. He was first a Marine, a husband, a father.... there were very few tasks that my father would not accomplish through sheer will and determination.... It is said that we inevitably are doomed to become our parents. I should be half so lucky.”
Daniel Solimando, a project engineer for the City of New York and Ron’s brother-in-law wrote in an e-mail: “Growing up, Ron was always ‘the brother-in-law'.” I admired his tenacity, determination, and dedication as he became more than ‘brother-in-law'. I will miss our discussions about project management, his unique sense of humor and how he would become animated when he spoke about anything ‘Marine.’ But most of all, I will miss my brother.”
Ron’s memberships included: The USMC Combat Helicopter and Tiltrotor Assocation, Alpha Company 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, the Khe Sanh Veterans Association, the American Legion, Phi Kappa Phi, Tau Beta Pi, and Pi Tau Sigma.
He was the beloved husband of Grace Zaczek (nee: Solimando), a retired public health executive and nursing consultant, and the loving father of Christopher Joseph Zaczek of Seoul, South Korea, and Matthew John Zaczek of Havre de Grace. Mr. Zaczek was the brother-in-law of Lt. Col. Dominic A. Solimando, U.S. Army (Ret.), Daniel A. and Susanne Solimando (nee: Pedersen), the late Frederick J. Solimando, and uncle to Alexander Solimando. He also is survived by his cousin, Michelle Novak of Glen Burnie, his foster daughter, Ms. Le Thí Hanh of Vietnam, and by his lifelong best friend, Thomas M. Brooks, who was like a brother and is godfather to his sons, Christopher, and Matthew. Ron is survived by many friends and fellow Marines. He was predeceased by his parents and beloved grandfather, Thomas Wegnerowicz.
The family wants to thank the physicians and staff at Johns Hopkins Medicine who compassionately and skillfully managed Ron’s complex health care for many years: Laura A. Hanyok, M.D., Peter V. Johnston, M.D., Liana S. Rosenthal, M.D., Ph.D., Gregory M. Pontone, M.D., and Rebecca Rye, C.R.N.P.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ron’s memory to: The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, 1775 Semper Fidelis Way, Triangle, VA 22172-1949. Please mark donations for the “Quiet Room” Project.
Ron was a parishioner at St. Patrick's Church, Havre de Grace, and a long-time former parishioner at St. Ignatius Church, Baltimore. Friends are invited to attend a Mass in Ron’s memory on Sunday, June 18, 2023, at 2 PM in St. Patrick’s Church, Have de Grace, MD with a gathering to follow at the Vandiver Inn, Havre de Grace. Please respond to gszaczek@outlook.com by June 1st if you plan to attend the Mass and gathering.
Messages of condolences or memories to share may be made to www.zellmanfuneralhome.com
Ron was born August 12, 1947, in Baltimore, MD the only child of the late Joseph S. Zaczek, an enameling supervisor for American Standard, and Bernice “Bertha” (Wegnerowicz) Zaczek, a seamstress and homemaker. Ronald grew up on Bayonne Avenue in Gardenville, playing in the then semi-rural area’s woods and streams.
He was baptized as an infant in the same ceremony at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church as his lifelong best friend, Thomas M. Brooks. Ron and Tom became re-acquainted in the second grade when they spent all day riding the Little Dipper roller coaster at Gwynn Oak Park. Mr. Brooks said: “We both agreed that the physics surrounding the Little Dipper was the same as that of the Big Dipper and the lines were shorter.”
Ron at an early age, was a man who had an unending gift of helping others, compassion to serve and had many accomplishments during his life. When he was just 15 years old, on his way home from school, he witnessed a small child that had crawled into an unattended car and had managed to disengage the brake. The car was careening down the street, much to the child’s increased terror. Ron immediately ran to the car, got in and hit the brake, saving the child.
Ron attended St. Anthony’s Grammar School in Gardenville where his teachers included Sr. Agatha, OSF, his unforgettable eighth grade teacher. Since his SAT scores were reported too late for him to use an NROTC scholarship he had earned, Ron took an early enlistment in the United State Marine Corps before graduating in the top ten percent of Archbishop Curley High School’s first graduating class in 1965.
Ron was so determined to enter the Marine Corps that he purposefully went into the eye test without glasses for fear of rejection. When the doctor was called out of the room, Ron memorized the eye chart, repeating the letters and numbers verbatim when the doctor returned. Ron told Robert Skinder in an interview for Popasmoke, the USMC Combat Helicopter and Tiltrotor Association’s newsletter that “Many years ago, I determined that the spirit of Semper Fi(delis) was going to define my life.” Paul A. Breault, a helicopter crew member in VMO-2 and retired senior financial services executive said: “Ron was a Marine’s Marine, and he was my friend.” Charles Goetz, a colleague at DuPont wrote in an e-mail: “Ron was a consummate Marine. He was living proof that there is no such thing as a former or ex-Marine.”
After boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, where he earned a Rifle Sharpshooter medal and was promoted Private First Class upon graduation, Ron spent a year in helicopter mechanic schools in Memphis, Tenn. On a furlough back in Baltimore, Ron attended a dance at then-College of Notre Dame of Maryland University (now Notre Dame University of Maryland) in 1966 where he met his future wife, Grace. They were “pinned” on the first of three dates over two days before Ron reported to Camp Pendleton, CA. Ron and Grace married in August 1970 and welcomed two sons, Christopher in 1976, and Matthew in 1979.
Following two months further training at Camp Pendelton, Ron was part of an advance detachment of VMO-3, the activated training unit which deployed directly to Vietnam’s Mekong Delta for Operation Deckhouse Five. When VMO-3 re-located to Phu Bai near the imperial city of Hue in northern South Vietnam, Ron was crew chief of UH-1E Victor Tango –12, which he named “The Warsaw Falcon.” Ron flew 393 missions, switching among them from Medevac to gunship missions for his squadron. One of his most notable missions was the Breaker patrol mission, where Ron and his fellow crewchief Jack Acosta were part of a combined crew that made a last-ditch effort which rescued 3 Marines on a hilltop northwest of Khe Sanh under heavy fire. For this mission Ron and Jack were awarded the Bronze Star with a combat “V.”
Returning to the U.S. in January 1968, Ron served 16 months aboard VMO-1 in New River Air Station, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Ron earned his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Mayland, College Park’s then-Glenn L. Martin Institute of Technology. He graduated magna cum laude at the top of his class in 1973 after interning at the U.S. Army’s Harry Diamond Laboratories and Fairchild-Hiller Corporation. Ron earned a master's certificate in Program Management from George Washington University and was a certified Project Management Professional.
Ron’s professional career began in 1973 with E.I. Dupont de Nemours and Company, designing and installing automated systems in Dupont plants across the country. Ram Mouli, a colleague at Dupont and a retired technical advisor said: “.... Ron was a close and special friend for over 30 years. Ron was well organized and the BEST program manager I have known.” Ron accepted a program manager position with Digital Equipment Corporation in 1985 and led high profile projects as DEC evolved to become Compaq, then Hewlett Packard, Inc. He became program manager for several high-profile endeavors, transforming the New York City Department of Corrections’ failing Y2K remediation into a model for the rest of the city’s agencies. Before leaving Hewlett Packard in 2003, Ron designed and initiated development of a computer aided dispatch (9-1-1) system for the New York Police Department.
Ron was a senior Information Technology project and program manager for state, local and the Federal governments, and private industry, specializing in recovery for troubled projects. He retired in 2017 as a project management consultant at the U.S. Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground’s Electronic Warfare and Cyber Program. Sharon McClellan, a colleague at APG, and an Information Technology consultant for the Federal government said in an e-mail: “... Ron was a cherished friend and mentor. His advice and encouragement were invaluable, usually delivered in a blunt yet amusing fashion....”
Despite a successful career and a loving family, Ron struggled with Post Traumatic Stress resulting from his experiences in Vietnam. In 1980, Ron began a decade-long journey of self-discovery through counseling with Thomas L. Murtaugh, Ph.D., team leader at the Veterans Center in Elkton, MD, who would become a lifelong friend. Peter Fanuele, a former U.S. Army drill instructor, financial industry executive and Ron’s close friend for 50 years wrote in an e-mail: “Ron's military service, and its effects on him truly form a definitive example of the sacrifice offered by a combat veteran in defense of his country. We all need to feel deep gratitude for his service and sacrifice.”
Ron documented his struggles with PTSD and in 1994, published his first book, “Farewell, Darkness: A Veteran’s Triumph over Combat Trauma” through the Naval Institute Press. The book received several accolades as a vital tool for veterans and civilians coping with PTSD and trauma. In 1995, both Ron and Grace would work with others to put out his second book, “Soldier’s Heart: Survivors’ Views of Combat Trauma,” a collection of art, poetry, and essays by combat survivors, their families and clinicians all dealing with PTSD. Ron appeared on several radio shows and television programs discussing his mission to assist others and “Farewell, Darkness” was profiled (above the fold) in the Chicago Tribune to favorable reviews. He also provided written testimony on combat survivors’ struggles with PTSD for the U.S. House of Representatives’ VA Health Subcommittee’s “Hearing on PTSD” on March 11, 2004, in response to the subcommittee’s invitation.
Marc Steiner interviewed Ron twice on Marc’s radio show. Ron was part of a panel on November 11, 1997, discussing Vietnam. Ron and Arnold “Skip” Isaacs, foreign correspondent, editor for The Baltimore Sun and author of two books on the Vietnam war spoke with Marc in October 2003 to talk about the Iraq War and combat stress.
In 1996, along with his wife, Ron returned to Vietnam as part of only the second American tour group allowed into the country, to revisit the sites of his missions and continue the healing process. Ron told the Breaker Patrol’s story and spoke of his fervent desire to bring home the remains of the three Marines and a Navy corpsman who already were dead when the VMO-3 crew rescued the three survivors. Lt-Gen G. Ronald Christmas, who earned the Navy Cross as a company commander at the Battle of Hue and host for the tour connected Ron with the Joint Taskforce Full Accounting in Hawai’i. Ron provided JTF-FA with the exact coordinates and topographic location of the rescue. This essential information resulted in all four men being buried in Arlington on May 10, 2005, 38 years to the day of the rescue, once again proving that Marines leave no one behind. Ron told Robert Skinder in 2001 “When I go to meet Chesty on the other side, I can look him in the eye and tell him, “I was Always Faithful.” The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation in 2017 presented him with the Sgt. William Genaust Award for his video about the rescue mission, repatriation of the remains and their burial in Arlington.
On the second of their trips to Vietnam, Ron and Grace met Ms. Le Thí Hanh during their stay in Danang and were impressed with her self-taught English skills. Continuing Ron’s efforts to serve and give back, Ron and Grace, with Ms. Le’s parents’ permission, became adoptive parents to her, providing further educational opportunities, continued support and love for her. Today, Ms. Le holds a senior management position at an exclusive resort in Vietnam.
No matter what professional position he held, Ron remained first, and foremost a Marine. Ron and Grace are members of the Commandant’s Circle at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia, sponsoring exhibits and displays on the Vietnam War. Their current project with the museum is the construction of a “quiet room” to assist visitors in dealing with sometimes overwhelming emotional responses to immersive displays at the museum. Ron volunteered for several years as a docent at the museum, educating and inspiring both the old and young with the history and heritage of his beloved Corps.
Charles Goetz and his wife, Kathy, a nurse practitioner and former Utica College faculty member introduced Ron to skiing and snowmobiling. Chuck said: “Ron spent a week with us one winter and went snowmobiling. When it was time for him to return home, he said it was one of the best vacations he had experienced. I really enjoyed that time together.” Tom Brooks and Ron shared many skiing adventures together, in Killington, VT and Breckenridge, CO.
Ron was a versatile craftsman, extensively remodeling his family’s first house in Elkton, MD and creating large gardens, including a meticulously designed and maintained vegetable plot. He completely renovated a house in the 900 block of Tyson Street in Mount Vernon, designing an interior duct system that preserved the interior walls’ integrity. At his family’s current home in Havre de Grace, Ron designed and managed the installation of an extensive patio and built an enviable wood working shop. He created numerous stained-glass and pottery objects and wood carvings.
Ron was fiercely protective and supportive of his family. Grace said: “He was the passion of my life, and my best friend. He made me feel cherished and safe. In the over 56 years we have known each other, there never was a single dull moment. Ron was creative, imaginative, and charming with an acerbic, often dark sense of humor.” Ron coached Christopher in his prize-winning declamation contests, made sure his sons appreciated classical music and learned to play musical instruments. He was extremely proud of his sons’ Boy Scout Eagle awards and their Eagle projects. He led lively dinner table discussions about Greek and Roman mythology, including the difference between dryads and hamadryads.
Ron strongly advocated with the physicians during Matthew’s care after a devastating auto accident and brain cancer surgery.” Christopher described his father as: “.... a truly remarkable man who never lost his zest for life. He was first a Marine, a husband, a father.... there were very few tasks that my father would not accomplish through sheer will and determination.... It is said that we inevitably are doomed to become our parents. I should be half so lucky.”
Daniel Solimando, a project engineer for the City of New York and Ron’s brother-in-law wrote in an e-mail: “Growing up, Ron was always ‘the brother-in-law'.” I admired his tenacity, determination, and dedication as he became more than ‘brother-in-law'. I will miss our discussions about project management, his unique sense of humor and how he would become animated when he spoke about anything ‘Marine.’ But most of all, I will miss my brother.”
Ron’s memberships included: The USMC Combat Helicopter and Tiltrotor Assocation, Alpha Company 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, the Khe Sanh Veterans Association, the American Legion, Phi Kappa Phi, Tau Beta Pi, and Pi Tau Sigma.
He was the beloved husband of Grace Zaczek (nee: Solimando), a retired public health executive and nursing consultant, and the loving father of Christopher Joseph Zaczek of Seoul, South Korea, and Matthew John Zaczek of Havre de Grace. Mr. Zaczek was the brother-in-law of Lt. Col. Dominic A. Solimando, U.S. Army (Ret.), Daniel A. and Susanne Solimando (nee: Pedersen), the late Frederick J. Solimando, and uncle to Alexander Solimando. He also is survived by his cousin, Michelle Novak of Glen Burnie, his foster daughter, Ms. Le Thí Hanh of Vietnam, and by his lifelong best friend, Thomas M. Brooks, who was like a brother and is godfather to his sons, Christopher, and Matthew. Ron is survived by many friends and fellow Marines. He was predeceased by his parents and beloved grandfather, Thomas Wegnerowicz.
The family wants to thank the physicians and staff at Johns Hopkins Medicine who compassionately and skillfully managed Ron’s complex health care for many years: Laura A. Hanyok, M.D., Peter V. Johnston, M.D., Liana S. Rosenthal, M.D., Ph.D., Gregory M. Pontone, M.D., and Rebecca Rye, C.R.N.P.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ron’s memory to: The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, 1775 Semper Fidelis Way, Triangle, VA 22172-1949. Please mark donations for the “Quiet Room” Project.
Ron was a parishioner at St. Patrick's Church, Havre de Grace, and a long-time former parishioner at St. Ignatius Church, Baltimore. Friends are invited to attend a Mass in Ron’s memory on Sunday, June 18, 2023, at 2 PM in St. Patrick’s Church, Have de Grace, MD with a gathering to follow at the Vandiver Inn, Havre de Grace. Please respond to gszaczek@outlook.com by June 1st if you plan to attend the Mass and gathering.
Messages of condolences or memories to share may be made to www.zellmanfuneralhome.com