Duane Zinkel

Duane F. Zinkel, age 81, passed away peacefully on August 19 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He was blessed to be able to remain in his home and was surrounded by his beloved wife of 54 years, Loretta, and his children. We all say "cancer sucks."
Duane is survived by his wife Loretta, his children, Sue (Scott) Chapman, Joe (Kim) Zinkel, Mary Larson, Bob (Mary Keely) Zinkel and Cathy (Jeff) Krussel; and his four grandchildren, Saoirse Keely-Zinkel, Nicole Zinkel, Rachel Larson and Natasha Krussel. He is preceded in death by his son James Patrick, mother Viola, father Norman, and brother Barry.
Duane was born on August 11, 1934 in Manitowoc and graduated from UW Madison in 1961 with a PhD in biochemistry, and married Loretta one week later! He worked his entire career in naval stores research at the USDA Forest Products Lab in Madison and was internationally recognized for his work.
During his life, he was involved in so many activities from volunteering at St. Vincent's food pantry, driving for RSVP, auctioneering for the Badger Stamp Club, helping Loretta bake thousands of elderberry muffins for Edgewood High School's Edgefest, running Boy Scout Troop 16's UW football parking at Blessed Sacrament Church, and even re-published a french revenue stamp book and donating all of the proceeds to St. Francis Mission, SD. He was proud of his one share of Green Bay Packer stock and the Packers were the bane and joy of his Sunday afternoons. He loved gardening, classical music (the only true kind of music), camping and traveling in the Roadtrek, had world-class fly swatting skills (honed from many tennis matches with his friends), and supporting his children in all of their (crazy) activities and dreams. We'll always see him with his toothy grin and be able to hear his color commentary of Packer games, his hopeless efforts to get us to "stop slamming the door," and the vacuuming on Saturday mornings! Here's a toast to you, Dad, with a good book and a great manhattan!
One of the great joys of his life was attending Latin Mass services (and was a founder of the Tridentine Mass Society of Madison) and fittingly a Latin Mass will be held for his funeral service at ST MARY'S OF PINE BLUFF CATHOLIC CHURCH, CO HWY P, CROSS PLAINS ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 AT 11:00 AM. Visitation will be held from 10:00-11:00 am, just prior to the service, at the church.

We'd like to thank Home Health United Hospice for providing comfort for Duane in his final days. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to St. Vincent Food Pantry, 2033 Fish Hatchery Road Madison WI 53713. http://www.svdpmadison.org/donate/


Cress
Funeral and Cremation Service
3610 Speedway Road Madison
608-238-3434