Edward V. Zehel, 81, Automobile Enthusiast
Edward V. Zehel, age 81, of Lorain, passed away at Mercy New Life Hospice on the morning of Monday November 7, 2022 following a brief illness.
Ed was born in Cleveland on August 4, 1941 and had been a resident of Lorain since the age of one.
He was a graduate of Lorain St. Mary High School and subsequently attended classes at Kent State University.
He had been employed for three decades at the Ohio Edison Edgewater Plant. Ed held a stationary engineer’s license, but served the majority of his career as the plant operator. He retired from the power company in 2002. Following retirement, he remained active as a member of the Ohio Edison Men’s Club and always enjoyed attending the organization’s annual dinner.
A longtime parishioner of Nativity BVM Catholic Church in Lorain, Ed was also affiliated with the KSKJ Slovenian Fraternal Lodge.
Ed was an automobile enthusiast and the proud owner of three Ford Mustangs throughout his lifetime; shortly prior to his passing, he had swapped out the spoiler on his most recent acquisition. He was an avid supporter of many charitable organizations and was well known for his love of animals. He also possessed a diverse aptitude for repairing just about anything that was broken. Ed spent a lot of his free time working on the computer; he was a self-taught diagnostician, repairman, and learner.
Survivors include his wife of fifty years Catherine “Cathy” Zehel (nee Godles), son James Zehel, and daughters Donna Kuhn (nee Zehel), Heather Zehel, and Holly Preece (nee Zehel) and her husband Joshua. Additional survivors include seven grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, sister Callie Melekian and his pet cat Elvira.
Ed was preceded in death by his parents Victor and Theresa Zehel (nee Urbanik), infant sister
Janice Zehel and sister Linda Knotts.
Visitation will be Thursday from 4:00 until 8:00 p.m. in the Gluvna-Shimo-Hromada Funeral Chapel – 3224 Broadway Avenue, Lorain. Funeral services will be Friday November 11th beginning with closing payers offered in the funeral chapel at 10:30 a.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11:00 a.m. in Nativity BVM Catholic Church – 1454 Lexington Avenue in Lorain. Reverend Craig M Hovanec, Administrator will officiate. Burial will follow in Ridge Hill Memorial Park.
Contributions in Ed’s memory are encouraged to the Nativity BVM Adult and Youth Choirs – 418 West 15t Street, Lorain, OH 44052.
To share your memories with the Zehel Family, please visit www.gluvnashimohromada.com.